George  Washington  Flowers 
Memorial  Collection 

DUKE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 

ESTABLISHED  BY  THE 
FAMILY  OF 
COLONF.^  FLOWERS 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2015 


https://archive.org/details/furtherhapsmisha01mcel 


FURTHER  MISHAPS 

TO 

SI  Klegfg  and  Shorty. 


fbe  Second  Year  of  Their  Service. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


PUe;LISHED  BY 

THE  NA   lONAL  TRIBUNE; 

WASHINGTON.    D.  C. 


FURTHER  HAPS  AND  MISHAPS 


TO 


SI  KLEQQ  AND  SHORTY. 


THE  SEOO^TD  YEAR  OF  THEIR  SERYICE. 


THE  NATIONAL  TKIBTJNIl 


(Tim  f 


SI  KLEQQ  AND  SHORTY. 


CHAPTER  L 

THE  ^rUD  AND  MIRE  OF  DUTY'S  PATH. 

"Shorty,"  said  Si  Klegg,  the  morning  after  Christmas, 
1862,  as  the  200th  Ind.  sullenly  plunked  along  through 
the  mud  and  rain,  over  the  roads  leading  southward  from 
NasliTille,  "  they  say  that  this  is  to  be  a  sure-enough 
battle  and  end  the  ^yar." 

"Your  granny's  night-cap  they  do,"  answered  Shorty 
crossly,  as  he  turned  his  cap  around  backward  to  stop 
the  icy  current  from  chasing  down  his  backbone.  "'How 
many  thousand  times  's  that  bin  stuffed  into  your  ears? 
This  is  the  forty-thousandth  mile  we've  marched  to  find 
ihat  battle  that  was  goin'  to  end  the  war.  And  Til  bet 
we'll  march  40,000  more.  This  war  ain't  goin'  to  end  till 
we've  scuffed  the  top  off  all  the  roads  in  Kentucky  and 
Tennessee,  and  wore  out  God  s  patience  and  all  the  sole- 
leather  in  the  North.  I  beliere  it's  the  shoemakers  that's 
runnin'  this  war  in  the  interest  o'  their  business." 

The  cold,  soaking  rain  had  reduced  the  most  of  tha 
200th  Ind.  to  a  mood  when  they  Avould  have  disputed  the 
Ten  Commandments  and  quarreled  with  tiieir  mothers. 

"There's  no  use  bein'  crosser'n  a  saw-buck  if  you  are 
wet,  Shorty,"  said  Si,  walking  to  the  side  of  the  road  and 
scraping  off  his  generous-sized  brogans  several  pounds 
of  stiff,  red  mud.  "They  say  this  npw  G-eneral  with  a 
Dutch  name  is  a  fighter  from  Wayback,  an'  he  always 
licks  the  rebels  right  out  of  their  boots.  I'm  sure,  I  hope 
it's  so.   I  like  huntin'  ez  well  ez  anybody,  au'  I'll  walk 


r  ST  KLEGG   ANB  SHOIITY 

ez  Tur  ez  tlie  next  man  to  find  something  to  slioot.  But 
I  think  walkin'  over  two  States,  backward  and  forward, 
is  altogether  too  much  huntin'  for  so  little  shootin\ 
Don't  you?" 

"Don't  worry,"  snapped  Shorty.  "You'll  git  all  the 
shootin'  you  want  before  your  three  years  are  up.  It'll 
keep." 

"But  why  keep  it  so  long?"  persisted  Si.  "If  it  can  be 
done  up  in  three  months,  an'  we  kin  git  back  home, 
why  dribble  it  out  over  three  years?  That  ain't  the  way 
we  do  work  back  home  on  the  AVabash." 

"Confound  back  home  on  the  Wabash,"  roared  Shorty. 
I  don't  hear  nothin'  else,  day  an'  night,  but  ^back  home 
on  the  AVabash.'  I've  bin  on  the  Wabash,  an'  I  don't 
want  to  never  see  the  measly,  muddy,  agery  ditch  agin'. 
Why,  they  have  the  ager  so  bad  out  there  that  it  shakes 
the  buttons  off  a  man's  clothes,  the  teeth  out  of  his 
head,  the  horns  off  the  cows.  An'  as  for  milk-sickness  

"Shorty!"  thundered  Si,  "stop  right  there.  If  you 
wasn't  my  pardner  I'd  thrash  you  this  minute.  I  kin 
join  you  in  jawin'  about  the  officers  an'  the  Government. 
A  great  deal  of  your  slack  that  I  can't  agree  with  I  km 
put  up  with,  but  you  mustn't  say  nothin*  against  my 
home  in  the  Wabash  Valley.  That  I  won't  stand  froia 
no  man.  For  fear  that  I  may  lose  my  temper  I'm  goin' 
away  from  you  till  you're  in  better  humor." 

With  that  Si  strode  on  ahead,  feeling  as  cross  and  un- 
T^OTifortable  internally  as  ho  v^as  ill-at-ease  externailr. 
Se  iiated  above  ail  things  to  quarrel  with  Shorty,  but 
the  Wabash  Valley,  that  gardenspot  of  earth,  that  place 
where  lived  his  parents,  and  sister,  and  Annabel — but 
the  subject  was  too  sore  to  think  about. 

Presently  an  Aid  came  galloping  along  the  middle  of 
the  road,  calling  upon  the  men  to  make  way  for  him. 


MUD  AND  MIEE  OF   DUTY'S  PATH. 


5 


I'-'*  horse's  hoofs  threw  the  mud  in  every  direction,  and 
Si  caught  a  heavy  spatter  directly  in  his  face. 

"Confound  them  snips  of  Aids/'  said  he  angrily,  as  he 
wiped  the  mud  off.  "Put  on  more  airs  than  if  they  was 
old  Gen.  Scott  himself.  Always  pretend  to  be  in  such  a 
powerful  hurry.  Everybody  must  hustle  out  of  theii 
way.    I  think  that  fool  jest  did  that  en  purpose." 


THE  AID  SPATTERS  LIUD  ON  SL 


TliPi  rain  kept  pouring  down  with  tormenting^  persist- 
ence. Wherever  Si  looked  were  drenched^  depressed  look- 
ing men;  melancholy,  steaming  horses;  sodden,  gloomy 
fields:  y^^How,  rushing  streams,  and  boundless  mud  that 
thonsa-nds  of  passing  feet  were  churning  into  the  con- 
sistency of  building-mortar 

Si  had  seen  many  rainy  days  since  he  had  been  in  the 
army,  but  this  was  the  first  real  Winter  rain  he  had  been 
Dut  in. 


6 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHOBTT. 


Jabe  Belclier,  the  most  disagreeable  man  In  Go.  Q,  was 
just  ahead  of  him.  He  stepped  into  a  mudpuddle,  slip- 
ped, threw  the  mud  and  water  over  Si,  and  his  gun, 
which  he  flung  in  the  effort  to  save  himself,  struck  Si  on 
the  shoulder. 

*'Ciumsy  lunkhead!"  roared  Si,  as  ill-tempered  now  as 
anybody.  "Couldn't  you  see  that  puddle  and  keep  out 
of  it?  You'd  walk  right  into  the  Cumberland  Eiver  if  it 
was  in  front  of  you.  Never  saw  such  a  bat-eyed  looney  in 
niylife." 

*'If  the  Captain  wasn't  lookin',"  retorted  Belcher,  ''I'd 
shut  up  both  them  dead-mackerel  eyes  o'  your'n,  you 
backwoods  yearlin'.  I'll  settle  with  you  after  we  git  into 
camp.    Your  stripes  won't  save  you.'' 

"Never  mind  about  my  stripes^  old  Stringhalt.  I  kin 
take  them  off  long  enough  to  Avallop  you.'*' 

Si  was  in  such  a  frame  of  mind  that  his  usual  open- 
eyed  ness  vras  gone.  The  company  was  wading  across  a 
creek,  and  Si  ])lungod  in  without  a  thought,  lie  stepped 
on  a  smooth  stone,  his  feet  went,  from  under  him,  and  he 
sat  dovvm  hard  and  v.  aist-deep  in  much  the  coldest  water 
that  he  ever  remembered. 

*'0,  Greenland's  icy  mountains,"  was  all  that  he  could 
ihir'k  to  say. 

The  other  boys  yelled: 

"Come  on  to  camp,  Si.    That's  no  place  to  sit  down." 
"Feet  hurt.  Si,  and  goin'  to  rest  a  little?" 
"This  your  day  for  taking  a  bath,  Si?" 
"Thinks  this  is  a  political  meetin',  and  he's  in  take  tht 
chair." 
"Place-Ilest:" 

"When  1  sit  down,  I  prefer  a  lo<:  or  a  rail;  but  some 
Eien's  different." 

"See  a  big  bass  there,  Si^  an'  try  to  ketch  him  by  set- 
tin'  down  on  him?'> 


MUD  AND  MIKE  OF  DUTY'S  PATH. 


7 


f^it  up^  Si;  git  up,  an'  give  your  seat  to  some  lady.'V 
©i  was  too  angry  to  notice  their  jibes.  He  felt  ar^iy^cl 
in  the  icy  water  for  his  gun,  and  clambered  out  oB  tike 
bank.  He  first  poured  the  water  out  of  his  gun^lian^ 
and  ^iped  the  mud  off.  His  next  thought  was  the  ihxee 
days'  rations  he  had  drawn  that  morning.  He  og^0 
his  hayersack,  and  poured  out  the  water  it  had  caj^iSt. 


WAIST-DEEP  IN  COLD  WATER. 


With  it  went  his  sugar,  coffee  and  salt.  His  hardtack 
were  a  pasty  mess  :  his  meat  covered  with  sand  and  dirt. 
He  turned  the  haversack  inside  out,  and  swashed  it  out 
in  the  stream.  ^ 

Back  came  Capt.  AIcGillicuddy,  with  water  streaming 
from  the  down-turned  rim  of  his  hat,  and  his  humor  bad. 
He  was  ignorant  of  Si's  mishap. 


s 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


^^Corporal  Klegg,  what  are  you  doing  back  here?  Why 
aren't  you  in  your  place?  I've  been  looking  ail  around 
for  you.  The  company  wagon's  stalled  back  somewhere. 
That  spavin-brained  teamster's  at  his  old  tricks.  1  want 
you  to  lake  tive  men  off  the  rear  of  the  company,  go  back 
and  fmd  that  wagon,  and  bring  it  up.    Be  smart  about  it.'^ 

^'Captain,"  remonstrated  Si,  "I'm  wetter 'n  a  drowned 
rat.  i"  

"Well,  who  in  thunder  ain't?"  exploded  the  Captain. 
**Do  I  look  as  dry  as  a  basket  of  chips?  Am  I  walking 
around  in  a  Panama  and  linen  clothes?  Did  you  expect 
to  keep  from  getting  your  feet  wet  when  you  came  into 
the  army?  I  want  none  of  your  beily-aching  or  sore-toe- 
ing. You  take  five  men  and  bring  up  that  A\agon  in  a 
hurry.    Do  you  hear  me?" 

And  the  Captain  splashed  oft  through  the  red  mud  to 
make  somebody  else  still  more  miserable. 

Si  picked  up  his  wet  gun  from  the  rain-soaked  sod, 
put  it  under  his  streaming  overcoat,  ordered  the  five 
drenched,  dripping,  dejected  boys  near  him  to  follow,  and 
plunged  back  into  the  creek,  which  had  by  this  time 
risen  above  his  knees.  He  was  past  the  stage  of  anger 
now.  He  simply  wished  that  he  was  dead  and  out  of  the 
wtiole  business.  A  nice,  dry  grave  on  a  sunny  hillock 
in  Posey  County,  with  a  good  roof  over  it  to  keep  out  the 
rain,  would  be  a  welcome  retreat. 

In  gloomy  silence  he  and  his  squad  plodded  back 
through  the  eternal  mud  and  the  steady  downpour, 
through  the  mirey  fields,  through  the  swirling  yellow 
floods  in  the  brooks  and  branches,  in  search  of  the  lag- 
gara  company  wagon. 

Two  or  three  miles  back  they  came  upon  it,  stuck  fast 
in  a  deep  mud-hole.  The  enraged  teamster  was  pound- 
ing the  mules  over  the  head  with  the  butt  of  his  black- 
snake  whijD,  not  in  the  ex]Dectatioii  of  getting  any  further 


IlVD  AND  MIRE  OF   DCTY'S  PATH, 


9 


effort  out  of  them— he  knew  better  than  that — but  as  a 
relief  lo  his  overcharged  heart. 

"Stop  beatin'  them  mules  over  the  head/"  shouted  Si, 
as  they  came  up.  Not  that  he  cared  a  fi;^  about  the 
muleS;  but  that  he  wanted  to  "jump"  somebody. 


-'STOP  BEATIX'  THEM  MULES/'  \ 


*^Go  to  brimstone  blazes,  yoti  freckle-faced  Posey 
County  refugee/'  responded  Groundhog,  the  teamster,  in 
the  same  fraternal  spirit.  "I'm  drivin'  this  here  team." 
He  gave  the  nigh-swing  mule  a  "welt"  that  would  have 
knocked  down  anything  else  than  a  swing  mule, 
f  "If  you  don't  stop  beatin'  them  muleS;  by  thunder,  I'll 
make  you." 

"Make's  a  good  word,"  responded  Groundhog,  giving 
the  off-s^ing  mule  a  wicked  "biff."  "'I  never  see  any- 
thing come  out  of  Posey  County  that  could  make  me  do 
what  I  didn't  want  to." 

Si  struck  at  him  awkwardly.  He  wac5  Hampered  by 
bis  weigb't  of  soggy  clothes  that  there  was  little  force  or 


dtreSii^  to  blow.  The  soaked  teamsiei  returned  the 
blow  witli  eqiiM  clumsiness. 

The  other  boys  came  up  and  pulled  them  a^art. 

"Wa  ain't  no  time  for  sich  blamed  nonsense,"  they 
growled.  "WeVe  got  to  git  this  here  wagon  up  to  the 
company,  an'  we'll  have  the  devil's  own  time  doin'  it. 
Quit  skylarkiu'  an'  git  to  work." 

They  looked  around  for  something  with  which  to  make 
pries.  Every  rail  and  stick  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of 
the  road  was  gone.  They  had  been  used  up  the  previous 
Summer,  when  both  armies  had  passed  over  the  road. 

There  was  nothing  to  do  but  plod  off  through  mud  and 
rain  to  the  top  of  a  hill  in  the  distance,  where  there  was 
a  fence  still  standing.  A  half  an  hour  later  each  of  the 
six  came  back  with  a  heavy  rail  on  his  shoulder.  They 
pried  the  wagon  out  and  got  it  started,  only  to  sink  again 
in  another  quagmire  a  few  hundred  yards  further  on. 

Si  and  the  boys  went  back  to  get  their  rails,  but  found 
that  they  had  been  carried  off  by  another  squad  that  had 
a  wacon  in  trouble.  There  was  nothing  to  do  but  to 
make  another  toilsome  journey  to  the  fence  for  more  rails. 

After  helping  the  wagon  out  they  concluded  it  would  be 
wiser  to  carry  their  rails  along  with  them  a  little, ways  to 
see  if  they  would  be  needed  again. 

They  were—many  times  tliat  afternoon.  As  darkness 
came  on  Si,  who  had  the  crowning  virtue  of  liopeiulnoss 
when  he  fully  reco.i]:iuzed  the  unutterable  badness  of 
things,  tried  io  cheer  ihe  other  boys  up  with  assertions 
that  llicy  would  soon  !;et  into  camp,  where  they  would 
find  bright,  warm  fires  with  which  to  dry  their  clothes, 
and  \f\cn{y  <>i  hot  coffee  to  thaw  them  out  inside. 

The  r|uick-f  ()r.iini^  dnrkncss  added  enormously  to  the 
inisery  of  their  work.  lM)r  hours  they  struggled  along 
the  botlomless  road,  in  the  midst  of  a  ruck  of  played-uut 


inJD  Jtis'D  MITJE  OF  DrTY'S  PATH. 


11 


mules  and  unutterably  tired,  disgusted  men,  laboring  as 

they  were  to  get  wagons  ahead. 
Finally  they  cajne  up  to  their  brigade,  which  had 

turned  off  the  road  and  gone  into  line-of-battle  in  an  old 

cotton-field;  where  the  mud  was  deeper,  if  possible,  thau 

in  the  road. 

^'"Where's  the  200th  Ind.?"  called  out  Si.^ 

"Here,  Si,"  Shorty's  voice  answered.  ■ 

"Where's  the  tires,  Shorty  ?"  asked  Si,  with  sinking 

heart. 

"Ain't  allowed  none,"  answered  his  partner  gloomily. 
"There's  a  rebel  battery  on  that  hill  there,  and  they 
shoot  every  time  a  match  is  lighted.  "What've  you  got 
there,  a  rail?  By  George,  that's  lucky'  We'll  have  som^ 
thing  to  keep  us  out  of  the  mud." 

They  laid  the  rail  down  and  sat  upon  it,^   --^-j-.  ■ 

"Shorty,"  said  Si,  as  he  tried  to  arrange  his  aching 
bones  to  some  comfort  on  the  rail,  "I  got  mad  at  you  fof 
cussin'  the  Wabash  this  mornin'.  I  ain't  a  fluid  talkef 
such  as  you  are,  an'  I  can't  find  words  to  say  v>'hat  I 
think.  But  I  just  wisht  you  would  begin  right  here  and 
cuss  everybody  from  Abe  Lincoln  down  to  Corporal  Sa 
Klegg,  and  everything  from  the  Wabash  in  Injianny 
down  to  the  Cunibcriand  iu  Tenii.e^jj.^e.  I'd  like  to  listen 
to  you  " 


12 


SI  KLEGG  AND  SHCXETT. 


CHAPTER  IL 

THE  SECOND  DAY'S  MARCH  TO  STONE  RIVER 

Si  Klegg  was  generous  with  his  rail,  as  he  was  with  all 
things  among  his  comrades.  He  selected  the  softest 
part,  in  the  center,  for  himself  and  Shorty,  and  then  in- 
vited the  other  boys  to  share  its  hospitalities.  They 
crowded  up  close  to  him  and  Shorty  on  either  side,  and 
there  seemed  to  come  a  little  warmth  and  dryness  from 
the  close  contact  of  their  bodies. 

Si  was  so  mortally  tired  that  it  seemed  a  great  relief 
just  to  sit  still  and  rest,  though  the  rain  continued  to 
pour  doAvn. 

Shorty  fished  some  hardtack  and  fried  pork  out  of  his 
haversack,  and  also  gave  him  a  handful  of  ground  coffee. 
Si  munched  the  crackers  and  meat,  with  an  occasional 
nip  at  the  coffee.  His  spirits  began  to  rise  just  a  trifle. 
He  was  too  healthy  in  body  and  mind  to  be  totally  down- 
oast  for  long. 

"'Tis  n't  much  of  a  supper,"  he  said  to  himself,"  but  it 
beats  nothin'  at  all  miles  and  miles.  Besides,  I  was 
raighty  lucky  in  gettin'' the  biggest  rail.  Some  that  the 
other  boys  has  are  no  good  at  all.  They'll  let  'em  right 
d^vvn  in  the  mud.  And  most  o'  the  boys  has  no  rails  at 
all.    I'm  awfully  sorry  for  'em." 

Then  lie  began  to  wonder  if  they  were  not  over-cautious 
suX^ui  the  nearness  of  the  enemy.  He  had  been  in  the 
army  p..?,t  long  enough  to  have  a  contempt  for  the  stories 
that  were  all  always  current  with  a  certain  class  about 
the  proximity  and  strength  of  the  enemy.  Shorty  was 
not  of  that  kind;  but,  then.  Shorty  was  as  liabl_e  to  be  im- 
gosed  ugon  as  anybody.  - 


SECOND  DAY'S  MARCH  TO  STONE  RIVER. 


13 


''How  do  you  know  there's  a  rebel  battery  on  ttie  bill 
out  there?"  he  finally  asked  Shorty. 

"They  belted  into  the  Oshkosh  Terrors,  out  there  to 
our  right,  killed  a  mule,  seared  two  teamsters  to  death, 
and  knocked  over  three  or  four  kittles  of  coffee.  It  was 
awful  unlucky  about  the  coffee,"  answered  Shorty. 

"How  long  ago  was  that?" 

"0,  several  hours  ago.  Just  after  we  turned  into  the 
field,  and  long  before  you  come  up." 

^'Mebbe  they've  gone  off  now.  Mebbe,  if  they're  there 
yet,  their  ammynition's  so  soaked  they  can't  shoot.  What 
do  you  say  to  startin'  a  little  fire?  It'd  be  an  immense 
comfort.  Unless  we  can  dry  out  a  little  we'll  be  soaked 
into  such  mush  before  morning  that  we  can't  keeg  our 
shape,  and  they'll  have  to  ladle  us  up  with  dippers.'^ 

*'It's  strictly  against  orders." 

''You  mean  it  was  against  orders  several  hours  ago.  I 
can't  see  nothin'  on  that  hill  over  there.  I've  Been 
watchin'  for  half-an-hour.  There's  nothin'  movin'. 
Mebbe  the  orders  has  been  changed,  an'  you  haint  heard 
about  it,"  persisted  Si.  "Mebbe  the  Orderly  that  was 
bringing  'em  's  got  stuck  in  the  mud.  Mebbe  the  rain's 
soaked  'em  so's  they  can't  be  read.  If  anybody's  got 
any  dry  matches  I'm  goin'  to  chance  it." 

Word  was  passed  along  the  raiJ,  and  at  length  one  o\ 
the  boys  was  found  to  have  some  matches  in  d  iioa  hoj^ 
which  was  proof  against  the  rain. 

Si  got  out  his  knife  and  whittled  down  a  corner  ot  the 
rail  until  he  came  to  the  dry  part,  and  got  off  some  saa ic- 
ings. Splinters  were  contributed  by  the  others,  and  aiiei 
several  failures  a  small  flame  was  started. 

"Here,  what  in  the  world  are  you  men  doing  there?* 
came  in  the  stentorian  tones  of  the  Colonel,  whom  » 
startled  Si  to  discover  was  sitting  a  short  distance  be- 
hind him.    "Put  that  light  out  this  instant/ 


14 


ELEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


Even  before  the  command  could  be  obeyed,  four  great 
flashes  burned  out  like  lightning  in  the  murky  darkness 
on  the  hill-top.  Four  cannon  roared,  and  four  shells 
screeched  toward  Si  and  his  companions,  who  instinct- 
ively toppled  over  backward  into  the  mud.  One  of  the 
shells  struck  in  the  mud  a  few  yards  in  front,  burst  with 
a  deafening  report,  and  sent  over  them  a  deluge  of  very 
wet  Tennessee  real  estate. 

"The  battery's  out  there  yit,  Si,"  said  Shorty,  as  they 
gathered  themselves  up  and  carefully  stamped  out  every 
spark  of  the  fire. 

"It's  'tendin'  strictly  to  business,"  remarked  Wes  Wil- 
liams. 

"It's  ammynition  don't  seem  to  be  a  mite  wet,"  added 
Jim  Hutchinson. 

"There,  you  see,  now,"  said  the  Colonel  sternly.  "I'll 
tie  up  by  the  thumbs  the  next  man  that  dares  scratch  a 
match." 

"You  jest  kin  if  I  do,"  muttered  Si,  scraping  off  some 
of  the  superabundant  mud,  and  resuming  his  seat  on  the 
rail.    "This  dog's  cured  of  suckin'  eggs." 

He  set  the  butt  of  his  gun  down  in  front  of  him,  clasped 
his  hands  around  the  barrel,  leaned  his  head  on  them, 
&Dc\  went  to  sleep.  ■ 

He  was  so  tired  that  he  coiild  have  slept  anywhere  and 
in  any  position.  He  was  dimly  conscious  during  the 
night  that  tlio  rain  ceased  and  that  it  turned  bitter  cold. 
He  was  not  going  to  wake  up  for  trifles  like  that,  though. 
When  Si  vrent  to  sleep  he  devoted  himself  entirely  to  that 
and  nothing  else.  It  was  one  thing  that  he  never  allowed 
tny  interference  vrith. 

But  vrith  the  first  gray  streaks  of  dawn  in  the  east 
some  uneasy^  meddlesome  spirit  in  the  200th  Ind.  hap- 
pened to  be  awake,  and  he  awakened  the  Adjutant,  who 
cuffed  and  shook  the  headquarters  drummer  until  he 


SECOND  DAY'S  iUECH  TO  STONE  UlXEE. 


16 


awakened  and  beat  the  reveille.  This  aroused  tlie  weary 
Orderly-Sergeants,  who  started  upon  tlie  task  of  getting 
up  the  bone-wracked,  aching-muscled  men.  In  10  min- 
utes there  was  enough  discontent  and  bitter  grumbling 
in  the  20oth  Ind.  to  hare  furnished  foith  a  new  ijolitic^ 
cartY.  ^      ^  - 


FEOZEN  IN  THE  MUD. 


The  awakening  process  finally  reached  those  of  Co.  Q 
who  had  roosted  on  Si's  rail  all  night. 

Si  vigorously  insisted  on  being  let  alone;  that  he  hadn^ 
been  asleep  five  minutes,  and  that,  anyhow,  it  was  not  his 
turn  te  go  on  guard.  But  the  Cbderly-Sergcant  of  Co.  Q 
was  a  persistent  fellow,  and  would  not  be  denied. 

When  Si  finally  tried  to  rise  he  found  that,  in  addition 
to  the  protests  oi  his  stiff  legs^  he  was  ginned  firmly 


16 


SI   ELEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


down.  Feeling  around  to  ascertain  the  cause,  dis- 
covered that  the  tail  of  his  overcoat  and  his  shoes  had 
become  deeply  imbedded  in  the  mud,  and  frozen  solkily 
there.    Shorty  was  in  the  same  fix. 

"Got  to  shuck  yourself  out  your  overcoat,  and  leave 
them  gunboats  anchored  where  they  are,"  remarked 
Shorty,  doing  as  he  said,  and  falling  in  for  roll-call  in  his 
Blocking  feet. 

After  roU-call  Si  got  a  hatchet  from  one  of  the  boys  and 
chojDped  his  and  Shorty's  shoes  out.  The  overcoats  were 
left  for  subsequent  effort,  for  the  first  thing  was  to  get 
some  wood  and  water  and  cook  breakfast. 

The  morning  w^as  bitter  cold  and  the  sky  overcast,  but 
Si  felt  that  this  was  a  thousand  times  better  than  the 
cheerless  rain,  which  seemed  to  soak  his  very  life  out  of 
Lim. 

He  pounded  most  of  the  frozen  mud  off  his  shoes, 
picked  up  the  camp-kettle,  and  started  off  for  wood  and 
water,  broke  the  ice  on  the  creek,  took  a  good  wa.sh,  and 
presently  came  ba«jk  with  a  load  of  dry  pine  and  a  kettle 
full  of  water. 

•"My  joints  feel  like  I  think  our  old  wagon  does  after 
k's  gone  about  a  year  without  greasing,"  he  remarked  to 
Shorty,  who  had  a  good  fire  going;  "but  I  think  that  after 
I  get  about  a  quart  o'  hot  coffee  inside  of  me,  with  a  few 
pounds  o'  pork  and  crackers,  I'll  be  nearly  as  good  as 
new  again.  My,  how  good  that  grub  does  smell!  An'*  did 
you  ev^r  i?ee  such  a  nice  fire?" 

Be  chopped  his  and  Shorty's  overcoats  out  while  Shorty 
was  cooking  breakfast,  and  when  at  last  he  sat  down  on 
one  end  of  his  rail  and  ate  enough  toasted  hard  bread 
and  crisp  fried  side-meat  to  feed  a  small  family  for  a 
week,  washing  it  dow^n  with  something  near  a  quart  of 
black  coffee  sweetened  with  coarse  brown  su^ar,  life  be- 
gan  to  again  have  some  charms  for  him. 


SECOND  DAY'S  MAJICH  TO  STONE  RWEK. 


17 


"You're  sure  that  dumbed  battery's  gone  that  shot  at 
us  last  night,  are  you,  Shorty?"  he  said,  as  he  drained  his 
cup,  fastened  it  again  to  the  strap  of  his  haversack,  and 
studied  the  top  of  the  hill  with  a  critical  eye. 

"They  say  it  is,"  said  Shorty,  between  bites.  "While 
you  was  down  at  the  crick  a  man  come  cover  from  the 
camp  o'  the  Oshkosh  Terrors,  and  said  two  o'  their  com- 
panies'd  been  onto  the  hill,  and  the  rebels  had  gone." 

"I  wish  them  Oshkosh  fellers 'd  mind  their  own  busi- 
ness," said  Si,  irritably,  as  he  picked  up  his  gun  and  be- 
gan rubbing  the  mud  and  rust  off.  "They're  entirely  too 
fresh  for  a  new  regiment.  That  battery  was  none  of 
theirs.  It  was  ours,  right  in  om  front,  an'  if  they'd  let  it 
alone  till  after  breakfast  we'd  gone  up  and  taken  it.  It 
was  just  the  right  size  for  the  200th  Ind.,  an'  we  wanted 
a  chance  at  it.    But  now  they've  had  to  stick  in  afid  run 

'tQff." 

"Don't  worry,"  said  Shorty,  fishing  out  anotheir  crs^k^ 
"It  hasn't  gone  too  far.   'Taint  ioSc.   You'll  b^ve  a  chances 
at  it  some  other  time.    Mebbe  to-day  yet." 

The  army  began  to  move  out  very  promptly,  and  soun 
the  200 th  Ind.  was  called  to  take  its  place  in  the  loii.f> 
column  that  crawled  over  the  hills  and  across  the  vallevr-. 
toward  Murfreesboro,  like  some  gigantic  blue  serpent 
moving  toward  his  prey. 

Miles  ahead  of  the  200th  Ind.'s  place  in  the  cohmm 
the  rebels  were  offering  annoying  disputation  of  farthB? 
progress.  Lines  as  brown  as  the  dried  leaves  on  the  oak 
trees  would  form  on  the  hilltops,  batteries  would  gallop 
into  position,  and  there  would  be  sharp  bangs  by  tiie 
cannon  and  a  sputter  of  musketry-fire. 

Then  the  long,  blue  serpent  would  wriggle  out  of  tha 
road  into  the  fields,  as  if  coiling  to  strike.  Union  bat- 
teries would  rush  on  to  hilltops  and  :^'g  across  the  valleys 
at  the  zebel  camion^  and  a  shutter  of  musketry  woulcf 


18  SI    KLEGG    AND  SHORTY. 

answer  that  from  the  leaf-brown  ranks  on  the  hilltops, 
which  would  dissolve  and  march  back  to  the  next  hill- 


topf  where  the  thing  would  be  gone  over  again.  The  200th 
In«f.  would  occasionally  see  one  of  these  performances  as 
it  marched  over  and  down  one  of  the  hills. 


SECOND  DAY'S  MARCH  TO  STONE  PJVEH. 


As  tlie  afternoon  \vas  wearing  away  the  200 tli  IncL 
kept  nearing  the  front  where  this  was  going  on.  Finally, 
when  the  dull  day  was  shading  into  dusk,  and  the  bri- 
gade ahead  of  it  was  forming  in  the  field  at  the  foot  of  a 
hill  to  open  a  bickering  fire  against  the  dun  line  at  the 
top,  the  200th  Ind.  was  taken  off  the  road  and  marched 
away  oyer  to  the  left,  where  it  was  put  into  line  in  front 
of  a  dense  groye  of  cedars 

^^Capt.  McG-illicuddy,"  commanded  the  Colonel  to  the 
Captain  of  Co.  Q,  ^'adyance  your  company  as  skirmishers 
to  the  edge  of  the  cedars,  and  send  a  Corporal  and  fiye 
men  into  the  thicket  to  see  if  there  is  anything  there." 

^'Corporal  Klegg,"  said  the  Captain,  "take  fiye  men  oE 
the  left  of  the  company  and  go  in  and  see  what's  in 
there." 

Si  was  instantly  fired  with  the  importance  of  the  duty 
assigned  him.  He  sent  two  of  his  men  to  the  left,  two  to 
the  right,  while  he  and  Shorty,  a  little  distance  apart, 
struck  for  the  heart  of  the  thicket.  They  made  theii 
way  with  difEculty  through  the  dense  chaparral  for  some 
minutes,  and  then  stopped,  as  they  heard  yoices  and  tho 
crashing  of  branches  in  front. 

Si's  heart  thumped  against  his  ribs.  He  looked  oyer 
to  his  left,  and  saw  Shorty  standing  there  peering  earn- 
estly into  the  brush,  ^-ith  his  guH  cocked  and  ready  to 
fire.    He  ran  oyer  to  him  and  whispered i 

"^Yhat  do  you  see,  Shorty?^*' 

"Nothin'  yit,  but  I  expect  to  eyery  minute,"  replied 
Shorty,  without  turning  his  intent  eyes.  Si's  gun  was 
already  cocked,  and  he  bent  his  head  forward  eagerly,  to 
get  a  better  yiew.  But  he  could  see  nothing,  except  that 
the  tops  of  the  bushes  were  shaking 

"Shall  we  skip  back  an'  report?"  Si 

*'I  ain't  goin'  till  I  see  something,"  said  Shorty,  stoutly. 


^Of  SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 

"^'or  me/'  echoed  Si;  rather  ashamed  that  he  had  susr- 
gested  it. 

"Steady,  there;  steady,  on  the  right!  Come  forward 
with  that  left  company/'  called  out  a  stern  voice  in  front. 


"SURRENDER,  YOU  CONSARNED  REBELS!" 


''Must  be  a  full  regiment  in  there,"  whispered  Si,  cran- 
ing his  nerV  still  farther.  The  tramping  and  crashing 
increased 


SECOND  DAY'S  MARCH  TO  STOiTE  EIYER. 


21 


'^Steady,  men,  I  tell  you!  Steady!  Dress  on  the  center, 
commanded  tlie  unseen  Colonel.    "Forward  !  Forward!'^ 

In  spite  of  his  perturbation,  Si  noticed  that  the  sounds 
did  not  seem  to  be  coming  any  nearer. 

"We  must  get  a  squint  at  'em,"  he  said,  desperately, 
to  Shorty.  "'Let's  git  down  an'  crawl  forward.  There 
must  be  an  openin'  somewhere." 

They  got  down  on  their  hands  and  knees,  so  as  to 
avoid  as  many  as  possible  of  the  thickly-interlaced 
branches.  Soon  they  came  to  a  rift  which  led  to  an 
opening  of  some  rods  in  circumference.  Raising  their 
heads  cautiously  above  a  moss-covered  log,  they  saw  in 
the  opening  a  stalwart  Sergeant  with  five  or  six  men. 
The  Sergeant  was  standing  there  with  his  eyes  Esed  on 
the  tops  of  the  trees,  apparently  thinking  of  the  next 
series  of  commands  he  was  to  give,  while  the  men  were 
busy  breaking  limbs  off  the  cedars.  _ 

Si  and  Shorty  immediately  grasped  the  situation. 
{  *^Forward,  Co.  Q!"  yelled  Si  at  the  top  of  his  lungs. 
'^Surrender,  you  consarned  rebels,  or  we'll  blow  your 
heads  o5,"  he  added,  as  he  and  Shorty  jumped  forward 
into  the  opening  and  leveled  their  guns  on  the  squad. 

The  Sergeant  stopped  in  the  midst  of  a  thundering 
command  and  started  to  raise  his  gun,  but  he  saw  Si's 
muzzle  too  near  his  head,  and  dropped  it.  The  rest  held 
up  their  hands. 

"What'n  thunder  was  you  fellers  makin'  all  that  racket 
fur?"  Si  asked  the  Sergeant  as  he  was  marching  him  back 
to  the  skiriiiish-line. 

"Ouah  Cumiel,"  explained  the  Sergeant,  "wuz  afeared 
you'ns'd  try  to  flank  us  through  the  thicket,  and  sent  me 
down  to  make  a  rumpus  and  hold  you  back  while  he  fit 
you  in  front.    But  whar's  your  company?" 

"We'll  come  to  it  soon,"  said  Si. 


22 


BT   KLEGG    AND  SHORTY. 


CHAPTER  III. 

STILL  MARCHING  ON  TO  STONE  ElVl^it. 

Si  called  out  to  the  other  boys  by  name  to  come  up  and 
join  him. 

The  rebel  Sergeant  mentally  tallied  off  each  name  as 
it  was  called.  A  flush  of  shame  and  anger  mounted  to 
his  face  as  Si  concluded. 

"Gol  darn  hit/'  he  said,  "yo'uns  hain't  got  ez  many  ez 
we'uns;  they  hain't  nigh  ez  good  men  ez  we'uns,  an' 
they'uns  ain't  heah.  We'uns  air  Tennesseans,  an' 
yo'uns  hain't." 

*'AVe've  got  enough,  an'  they're  good  enough/'  said  Si 
senientiously.  ''Lijianny  turns  out  better  men  than 
Tennessee  ever  dreamed  o'  doing." 

"1  don't  believe  hit  a  mite/'  said  the  Sergeant,  stoop- 
ing down  and  picking  up  a  piece  of  cedar,  which  made  a 
formidable  club.  "We'uns  is  not  a-gwine  back  with 
yo'uns  nary  a  step.  By  rights,  we'uns  orter  take  yo'- 
uns back  with  we'uns.  But  I'm  willin'  to  call  hit  off, 
and  let  yo'uns  go  ef  yo'uns  '11  let  we'uns  go.  Is  hit  a 
bargain?" 

"Not  by  40  rows  o'  apple  trees  it  ain't,"  said  Si,  step- 
ping back  a  little  to  get  better  range,  and  fixing  his 
bayonet.  "I've  set  my  heart  on  takin'  you  back  to  Co.  Q, 
d^xi  back  to  Co.  Q  you'll  go,  if  Si  Klegg  knows  himself." 

"And  you'/i  go  in  a  hurry,  too,"  said  Shorty.  "It's 
/ettin'  late,  and  I'm  always  afraid  to  be  out  after  dark. 
Mosey,  nowP' 

The  other  rebels  were  picking  up  clubs  similar  to  the 
Sergeant's  and  casting  their  eyes  on  him  for  the  signal  to 
attack. 


STILL  MARCHING  ON  TO  STONE  EIVER.  2S 


**See  here/'  said  Si  desperately,  corking  his  gun. 
"Don't  waste  no  more  time  in  words.  This  hain't  a  de- 
batin'  society.    You're  goin'  back  to  Co.   Q  or  going 


somewhere  else  thunderin'  quick.  Sergeant,  if  yoti 
make  a  move  agin  me  I'll  surely  blow  your  licad  oficn 
you,  an'  jab  my  bayonet  through  the  next  man.  My 
partner,  Shorty,  is  a  worse  man  than  I  am,  an'  I  can't 
tell  how  many  of  you  he'll  kill.    He's  awful  quick- 


24 


61   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


tempered,  too,  towards  evening,  an'  liable  to  begin  shoot- 
ing any  minute  without  warnin'.  It'll  save  several  lives 
if  you  start  right  off  on  the  jump,  straight  toward  the 
rear,  an'  keep  it  up,  without  looking  to  the  right  or  left, 
until  you  reach  Co.  Q.  You'll  find  the  trail  we  made 
comin'  in.    Take  it  this  minute.'* 

The  rebel  Sergeant's  eyes  looked  directly  into  the  dark 
muzzle  of  Si's  gun.  They  glanced  along  the  barrel,  and 
met  one  eye  looking  directly  through  the  sights,  while  the 
ether  w^as  closed,  in  the  act  of  taking  deliberate  aim. 
He  decided  with  great  promptness  that  there  were  many 
reasons  w^hy  he  should  prefer  to  be  a  live  rebel  in  ^ 
Yankee  prison,  rather  than  a  badly-disfigured  dead  one 
in  a  lonely  cedar  thicket.  He  dropped  his  club,  turned 
around,  and  made  his  way  along  the  path  over  which  Si 
had  come.  The  rest  followed,  with  Si  and  Shorty  a  few 
paces  in  the  rear. 

Palpitating  with  pride.  Si  marched  his  prisoners  up  to 
the  company,  who  gave  him  three  cheers.  The  Captain 
ordexed  him  to  report  with  his  prisoners  to  tlie  Colonel.  |  ^ 

The  Colonel  praised  him  with  words  that  made  his 
blood  tingle. 

The  skirmishing  off  to  the  right  had  now  ceased.  The 
rebels  had  lallen  back  to  the  next  hill-top,  and  the  200th 
Ind.  was  ordered  to  go  into  camp  where  it  stood. 

It  was  a  fine  place  for  a  camp.  The  mud  of  the  day 
tiefore  was  frozen  into  stony  hardness.  The  wagons  had 
no  difficulty  in  coitiing  up.  There  was  wood  and  water 
in  abundance,  and  it  seemed  that  the  command  "Break 
ranks— March!"  had  hardly  been  uttered  when  great, 
bright,  comfort-giving  fires  of  fragrant  cedar  rails  flashed 
up  all  alon^-  the  line. 

Si  and  Shorty  found  several  cedar  stumps  and  logs, 
which  they  rolled  together,  and  maile  a  splendid  fire. 
They  cooked  themselves  an  ample  supper  of  fried  pork, 


STILL  MARCHING  ON  TO  STONE  EIYER. 


25 


toasted  liardtack,  and  strong,  fragrant  coffee,  wliicli  tliey 
devoured  with  an  appetite  and  a  keen  enjoyment  only 
possible  to  healthy  young  men  who  have  had  a  day  of 
active  manuvering  and  marching  in  the  crisp^  chill  air  of 
December. 


Then  they  gathered  a  lot  of  cedar  branches,  and  made 
a  thick  mattress  of  them  near  the  fire,  upon  which  to 
spread  their  blankets  for  the  night. 

This  was  a  new  suggestion  by  Shorty,  and  an  amazing 
success. 

"I  declare,  Shorty,"  said  Si,  as  he  lay  down  on  the  bed 
to  try  it,  "I  often  wonder  where  you  get  all  your  ideas. 


26 


SI   KtEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


For  a  man  who  wasn't  raised  on  the  Wabash  you  know 
an  awful  sight.  Mebbe,  if  you'd  actually  been  bom  in 
Posey  County  you'd  a-knowed  enough  to  be  a  Jigadier- 
Brindle.  Then  I'd  a  lost  you  for  a  pard.  This's  a  great 
invention.  Why,  it's  softer  and  comfortabler  than  one  of 
mother's  feather  beds.  When  I  get  out  of  the  army,  I'm 
going  to  sleep  on  nothin'  but  cedar  boughs." 

''There,  you're  at  it  again— the  Wabash  forever/'  re- 
turned Shorty,  good-humoredly.  "They  raise  the  finest 
corn  and  cattle  in  the  world  on  the  Wabash,  I'll  admit, 
and  some  fairly  good  soldiers.  But  where'll  you  get  any 
cedars  there  to  make  beds  w^ith?  You'll  have  to  go  back 
to  sleepin'on  wheat  straw  and  corn  husks,  with  chicken- 
feather  pillers.  But  after  the  way  you  stood  up  to  that 
rebel  Sergeant  to-day  I'll  never  say  another  word  about 
ager  and  milk-sick  on  the  Wabash,  and  I'll  lick  any 
other  feller  that  does.  There  wasn't  a  speck  of  ager  in 
your  gizzard  when  you  ordered  him  forward,,  or  you'd 
blow  his  Southern  Confederacy  head  off." 

"There  was  more  ager  there  than  you  thought,  Shorty," 
Si  admitted  softly.  "I  was  awfully  scared,  for  there  was 
six  to  us  two,  and  if  that  feller  'd  had  the  right  kind  of 
sand  he'd  a-jumped  me  at  once,  before  I  could  get  my 
gun  \jp.  The  moment  he  began  to  palaver  I  knowed  I 
had  him.  But  I'd  'a'  died  in  my  tracks  before  I'd  let  him 
go,  and  I  knowed  you  would,  too.  You're  the  best  pard 
a  feller  crv^er  had." 

And  he  reached  over  and  took  Shorty's  rough  hand 
and  squeezed  it  affectionately. 

"I  can  bet  on  you  every  time,  even  when  I  don't  think 
It's  quite  safe  to  bet  on  myself.  And,  Shorty,"  he  con- 
tinued, with  his  eyes  kindling,  "it  was  worth  all  that 
we've  gone  through  since  we've  been  in  the  army,  even 
all  that  time  in  the  rain,  to  have  the  Colonel  speak  as  he 
did  to  us  before  all  the  rest  of  the  boys.   I'd  be  willing  to 


STILL  MARCHING  ON  TO  STONE  RIVER. 


27 


enlist  for  three  years  more  if  father  and  mother  and 
sisterS;  and — and — Annabel  could  have  heard  him.  I 
tell  you,  war  has  some  glorious  things  in  it,  after  all." 

He  sat  there  on  his  bed  before  the  fire,  with  his  feet 
curled  up  under  him  In  the  comfortable  w^ay  that  it  takes 
months  of  field  service  to  acquire,  and  gazed  steadily 
into  the  bank  of  glowing  coals.  They  suffused  his  face 
and  body  with  their  ge^nerous  w^armth,  and  helped  lif^; 
his  soul  toward  the  skies.  He  was  much  happier  than 
he  had  ever  been  before  in  his  life.  The  trials  of  the 
day  before  were  hardly  more  than  a  far-away  dream. 
The  fears  and  anxieties  of  the  coming  battle  were  for- 
gotten. The  ruddy  embers  became  a  radiant  vista, 
which  Pride  and  Hope  and  Joy  filled  with  all  that  he 
wanted  to  see.  He  saw  there  the  dear  old  home  on  the 
Wabash,  his  father  seated  by  the  evening  lamp  reading 
the  paper,  while  his  mother  knit  on  the  other  side  of  the 
table.  His  sisters  were  busy  with  some  feminine  trifles, 
and  Annabel  had  come  in  to  learn  the  news.  They 
would  hear  what  he  had  done,  and  of  the  ColonePs 
Words  of  praise  before  the  regiment,  and  his  father's 
heart  would  glow  with  pride  and  his  mother^s  eyes 
suffuse  with  tears.  And  Annabel— but  it  passed  words, 
passed  thought,  almost;  what  she  would  say  and  think. 

Just  then  tattoo  rang  out  clear  and  musical  on  the 
chill  night  air.  The  rattling  military  *'good  night"  had 
never  before  had  any  special  charms  for  Si.  But  now 
he  thought  it  an  unusually  sweet  composition. 

"I  declare,"  he  said  to  Shorty,  "that  sheepskin  band  of 
our'n  is  improving.  They're  getting  to  play  real  well. 
But  I  ought  to  write  a  few  lines  home  before  taps.  Got 
any  paper.  Shorty?"  _  _ 

"Much  paper  you'll  find  in  this  regiment  after  that 
raiu/'  said  Shorty  contemptuously,  as  he  knocked  the 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


ashes  out  of  his  pipe,  aud  started  to  fall  in  for  roll-call. 
"Every  mite  of  paper  anybody  had  was  soaked  to  spit- 
watds.    But  mebbe  the  Orderly  might  have  a  sheet." 
After  roll-call  Si  went  to  the  Orderly-Sergeant.  Noth- 


AFTER  THE  MULES  STAMPEDED. 


ing  in  reason  could  then  be  refused  Si,  and  the  Orderly 
tore  a  couple  of  leaves  out  of  the  back  of  his  treasured 
diary,  which  had  escaped  the  rain,  and  handed  +hem  to 


STILL  MARCHIXG  ON  TO  STOXE  RIVER. 


39 


him.  Si  fished  his  stub  of  a  pencil  out  of  his  blouse- 
pocketj  laid  the  paper  on  the  back  of  a  tin-plate,  and 
began : 

"Somewhere  in  Tennessee, 
December  the  27th,  1862. 
"Dere  Annabel:  We're  movin'  on  Murphysboro,  where 
we  expect  a  big  fite.    There's  bin  htin'  goin'  on  ever 
since  we  left  Nashville^  but  the  2C0th  Ind.  hain't  had  no 
hand  in  it  so  far,  except  this  afternoon  me  and  Shor-ty" 

He  stopped,  stuck  his  pencil  in  his  mouth,  and  began 
to  study  just  what  words  he  should  use  to  describe  the 
occurrence.  He  wanted  to  tell  her  all  that  was  bubbling 
in  his  heart,  and  yet  he  was  afraid  she  would  think  him 
an  intolerable  boaster,  if  he  told  it  in  just  the  words  that 
came  to  him.  He  was  more  afraid  of  that  little  country 
girl's  disapproYal  than  of  all  the  rebels  in  Murfreesboro. 

There  w'ere  yells,  the  rattling  of  chains,  and  the  sound 
of  galloping  hoofs  coming  towards  him. 

"Hi,  there;  stop  them  condemned  mules!"  shouted  th« 
voice  of  a  teamster. 

Si  jumped  to  his  feet,  for  the  mules  were  charging 
directly  for  his  fire,  and  were  almost  upon  him.  He 
dropDed  paper,  pan  and  pencil,  and  jumped  to  one  side, 
just  in  time  to  avoid  a  rush  which  scatterecJ  his  hie,  Vis 
carefully-prepared  bed,  and  all  his  belongings  under  24 
flying,  hard-pounding  hoofs. 

"Blast  mules,  anyhow,"  said  the  driver,  coming  up 
with  his  whip  in  his  hand.  "I  didn't  hev  nothin'  for 
them  to  eat  but  a  cottoiiwood  pole  that  I  cut  down  in  the 
bottom.  But  they  must  have  smelt  fodder  over  there 
somewhere,  and  they  broke  for  it  like  the  devil  beatin*" 
tanbark.    Hope  you  weren't  hurt,  pard." 

Si  and  Shorty  hxed  up  their  fire  a^ain,  rearranged  their 


BT  KLEGG  AND  SHORTTr 


^gajf^c!  CGclar  bouglis,  and  did  the  best  they  could  with 
their  torn  blankets 

t  Si  found  that  a  mule's  hoof  had  landed  squarely  on 
his  tin  plate,  mashed  all  future  usefulness  out  of  it,  and 
stamped  his  letter  to  Annabel  into  unrecognizability 

He  threw  the  rent  fragments  into  the  fire,  sighed 
deeply,  and  crawled  under  the  blankets  with  Shorty,  just 
as  three  sounding  taps  on  the  base-drum  commanded 
silence  and  lights  out  in  the  camp. 


BEAAI  OF  THE  SUXSHIXE  OF  LIFE. 


81 


CHAPTER  ly. 

A  BEAM  OF  THE  SUNSHINE  OF  LIFE.  "  - 

There  come  times  in  every  man's  life  when  he  feels 
himself  part  of  the  sunshine  that  illumines  and  warms 
the  earth — 

The  lover,  after  he  has  won  his  best  girl's  consent. 
The  candidate,  after  he  has  been  elected  by  a  big 
majority. 

The  valedictorian,  after  his  address  has  been  received 
by  bursts  of  ringing  applause. 

The  clerk,  after  he  has  been  admitted  into  partner- 
ship. 

The  next  morning  the  camp  of  the  200th  Ind.  seemed  to 
Si  Klegg  one  of  the  most  delightful  places  on  earth. 

The  sun  shone  brightly  and  cheerily  through  the  crisp 
December  air.  The  fires  of  cedar  rails  sent  up  a  pun- 
gent, grateful  fragrance.  Hardtack,  pork,  and  coii^^ 
tasted  much  better  than  he  had  ever  known  them. 

Everybody  noticed  him  and  spoke  pleasantly  to  him. 
The  other  boys  of  Co.  Q  called  out  cheerily  to  him  from 
their  fires.  Those  from  the  other  companies  wou-d  stroir 
over  to  take  a  looli  at  him  and  Shorty,  and  his  comrades 
would  point  them  out  proudly  as  fair  specimens  of  Co.  Q, 
and  what  it  was  capable  of  doing  when  called  upoji  in 
an  emergency 

The  Captain  spoke  very  cordially  to  him  and  Shcntyj 
the  busy  Adjutant  stopped  and  greeted  them  smilingiv, 
and  even  the  grave  Colonel  singled  them  out  for  a  pleas- 
ant "Good  morning"  and  an  inquiry  as  to  vrlietk^?  th^f 
had  everything  they  w:2-»ited.    It  did  not  seem  to 


BI  KLEGG  AND  SHORTY. 


there  was  anything  more  on  earth  just  then  for  which  he 
could  ask. 

The  200th  Ind.  having  been  at  the  head  of  the  column 
when  it  halted,  was  to  take  the  rear  for  that  day's  march, 
and  so  remained  in  camp  for  a  while  to  let  the  rest 
pass  on.' 


THE  ADJUTANT  SMILED  ON  SI  AND  SHORTY, 

After  getting  things  ready  for  the  march  Si  arid  Shorty 
took  a  stroll  through  the  camp  to  see  w^hat  was  to  be 
seen.  They  came  across  their  prisoners  seated  around  a 
f-ie,  under  guard. 

Hotf  mnerent  they  looked  to  what  they  did  the  evening 
beiorcj  when  the  two  partners  encountered  them  in  the 


BEAM  OF  THE  ST:^•SHr^:E  OF  LIFE. 


S3 


depths  of  the  cedar  brake.  Then  they  seemed  like  fierce 
giants,  capable  of  terrible  things,  such  as  would  make 
the  heart  quail.  Xow.  powerless  for  harm,  and  awed  by 
the  presence  of  multitudes  of  armed  men  in  blue  filling 
the  country  in  every  direction  that  they  looked  they  ap- 
peared very  commonplace,  ignorant,  rotigh  men,  long- 
haired, staring-eyed,  and  poorly-clad  in  coarse,  butter- 
nut-dyed homesptm,  frayed  and  tattered. 

^'Father  gits  better  men  than  them  to  work  on  the  farm 
for  $S  a  month,"  Si  remarked  to  Shorty,  after  a  length- 
ened survey  of  them. 

"Eight  dollars  a  month  is  Congressman's  wages  to 
what  they  git  for  fightin'  for  the  Sotithern  Confederacy," 
answered  Shorty.  ''1  don't  s'pose  any  one  of  *em  ever 
had  eight  real  dollars  in  his  pocket  in  his  life.  They  say 
they're  fightin'  to  keep  its  from  takin'  tlieir  niggers  away 
from  'em,  and  yit  if  niggers  wuz  sellin"  for  $1  a-piece  not 
one  of  'em  coitld  buy  a  six-months '-old  baby.  Let's  go 
up  and  talk  to  'emV 

'''I  don't  know  'bout  that,"  said  Si,  doubtfully.  ''Seems 
to  me  I  wouldn't  be  particularly  anxious  to  see  men 
who'd  taken  me  prisoner  and  talked  very  cross  about 
blowin'  my  blamed  head  off." 

"0,  that's  all  right,"  answered  Shorty  confidently. 
"T\^ords  spoken  in  the  heat  of  debate,  and  so  on.  They 
won't  lay  them  up  agin  us.  If  they  do,  and  want  any 
satisfaction,  we  can  give  it  to  'em.  I  kin  lick  any  man 
in  that  crowd  with  my  fists,  and  so  kin  you.  We'll  jest 
invite  'em  to  a  little  argyment  with  nature's  weepons, 
withe ut  no  interference  by  the  guard.    Come  on." 

The  prisoners  returned  their  greetings  rather  pleasantly. 
They  were  so  dazed  by  the  host  of  strange  faces  that  Si 
and  Shorty  seemed,  in  a  measure,  like  old  acquaintances. 

*'Had  plenty  to  eat,  boys 7"  asked  Shorty,  familiarly, 


34 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


seating  himself  on  a  log  beside  tliem  and  passing  liis 
pipe  and  tobacco  to  the  Sergeant, 

"Plenty,  thankee,"  said  the  Sergeant,  taking  the  pipe 
and  filling  it.  "More'n  we'uns  've  had  sence  we  left 
home,  an'  mouty  good  vittles,  too.  You  Yanks  sartinly 
live  well;  ef  yo'uiis  don't  do  nothin'  else." 


THE  PRISONER 


;  **Yes,"  said  Shorty  with  a  glance  at  his  mud- stained 
garments,  *Sve're  bound  to  live  high  and  dress  well, 
even  if  we  don't  lay  up  a  cent." 

."You  sartinly  do  hava  good  cloze,  too,"  said  the  Ser- 
geant, surveying  the  stout  blue  uniforms  with  admira- 
tion.   "Yo'uns'  common  soldiers  've  better  cloze  thap 


BEAM  OF  THE  SUNSHINE  OF  LIFE. 


35 


our  officers.  We'uns  got  hold  o'  some  o'  yo'uns'  overcoats, 
and  they  wear  like  leather.'" 

^'There's  leather  in  'em/'  said  Shorty  unblushingly. 
tell  you,  old  Abe  Lincoln's  a  very  smart  man.  He 
saw  that  this  war  was  costin'  a  heap  of  money,  especi- 
ally for  clothes.  He  got  a  bright  idee  that  by  soaking  the 
clothes  when  they  were  new  and  green  in  the  tan-vats, 
jest  aftqr  the  leather  wuz  taken  out,  they'd  take  up  the 
strength  o'  the  leather  out  o'  the  juice,  and  wear  always. 
The  idee  worked  bully,  and  now  old  Abe  goes  every 
morning  to  where  they're  makin'  clothes  and  sees  that 
every  stitch  is  put  to  soak." 

^'Nobody  but  a  Yankee'd  thought  that,"  said  the  rebel 
reflectively. 

^'You  bet,"  assented  Shorty.  ^'Jeff  Davis 'd  never  think 
of  it  if  he  lived  to  be  as  old  as  Methuselah.  But  that's 
only  the  beginnin'  of  Abe  Lincoln's  smartness." 

"He's  a  durned  sight  smarter  man  than  we'uns  thought 
he  wuz  when  we  begun  the  war,"  admitted  the  Sergeant. 
"But  we'uns  '11  woUophim  yit,in  spite  of  his  smartness.'^ 

"We  kin  tell  more  about  that  a  few  months  later,"  re- 
turned Shorty.  "It's  never  safe  to  count  the  game  until 
the  last  hand's  played.  We  hain't  fairly  begun  to  lead 
trumps  yit.  But  what  are  you  fellers  fighting  for,  anyhow?" 

"We'uns  foutin'  for  our  liberty,  and  keep  yo'uns 
from  takin'  our  niggers  away." 

The  reply  that  came  to  Shorty's  lips  was  that  thej 
scsmed  to  be  losing  a  great  deal  of  liberty  rather  than 
gaining  it,  but  he  checked  this  by  the  fear  that  it  would 
be  construed  as  an  ungentlemanly  boast  of  their  capture. 
He  said,  instead; 

"I  never  knowed  as  any  of  us  wanted  your  niggers— 
me  particularly.  I  wouldn't  take  a  wagon  load  of  'em, 
even  if  the  freight  was  prepaid.  But,  let  me  ask  you, 
Sers^eanti  fepw  mmy  niggers  do  jou  own?" 


S6 


BI   KLEGG   AND  RTTORTT. 


"I  don^t  own  nary  one." 
"Does  your  fatlier  own  any?" 
"No,  lie  don't." 

"Does  your  motlierj  or  brothers,   uncles,   aunts,  or 
cousins  own  any?"  persisted  Shorty. 

"No,  thar  aint  nary  one  owned  in  tlie  IiuU  fambly." 

"Seems  to  me,"  said  Shorty,  "you're  doin'  a  great  deal 
of  figiitin'  to  keep  us  from  takiu'  away  from  you  some- 
thing that  we  don't  want  and  you  haint  got.  That's  the 
way  it  looks  to  a  man  from  north  o'  the  Ohio  Eiver. 
Mebhe  there's  something  in  the  Tennessee  air  that  makes 
him  see  differently.  FIl  admit  that  I've  changed  my  mind 
about  a  good  many  things  since  we  crossed  the  river." 

"I've  alluz  said,"  spoke  another  of  the  prisoners,  "that 
this  wuz  a  rich  man's  wah  and  a  pore  man's  fout." 

"Well,"  safd  Shorty,  philosophically,  "for  folks  that  like 
that  sort  o'  fightin',  that's  the  sort  o'  fightin'  they  like. 
I'm  different.  I  don't.  When  I  fight  it's  for  something 
that  I've  got  an  interest  in." 

While  the  discussion  was  going  on  Si  had  been  study- 
ing the  appearance  of  the  prisoners.  In  spite  of  their  be- 
ing enemies  his  heart  was  touched  by  their  comfortless 
condition.  Not  one  of  them  had  an  overcoat  or  blanket* 
The  Sergeant  and  a  couple  of  others  had  over  their 
shoulders  pieces  of  the  State  House  carpet,  which  had 
been  cut  up  into  lengths  and  sevv'-ed  together  .for  blankets. 
Another  had  what  had  once  been  a  gaudy  calico  counter- 
pane, with  the  pattern  "Rose  of  Sharon"  wrought  out  in 
flaming  colors.  It  was  now  a  sadly-bedjraggled  substi- 
tute for  a  blanket.  The  others  had  webs  of  jeans  sewed  / 
together 

The  buttons  were  gone  from  their  garments  in  many 
essential  places,  and  replaced  by  strings,  nails,  skewers 
and  thorns  Worst  of  all,  almost  every  one  of  them  was 
nearlj  sfe^spJesso    k  sudden  knj^ulse  seized  Si. 


BEAM  OF  THE  SUNSHINE  OF  LIFE. 


37 


•'Shorty,"  said  he.  '^tliese  men  are  going  up  wliere  the 
weather  is  very  cold.  I  wish  I  was  able  to  give  each  of 
them  a  warm  suit  of  clothes  and  a  bla^nket.  I  ain't 
though.  But  I  tell  you  vrhat  I  will  do;  I'll  go  down  to  the 
Quartermaster  and  see  if  he'll  issue  nie  a  pair  of  shoes 
for  each  of  'em,  and  charge  it  to  my  clothin'  account." 

"Bully  idee,"  ejaculated  Shorty.  "I'll  go  you  halves. 
Mebbe  if  they  git  their  uiiderstandin'  into  Yankee  leather 
it'll  help  git  some  Yankee  idees  into  their  understanding. 
See?" 

And  Shorty  was  so  delighted  v/ith  his  little  joke  that  he 
laughed  over  it  all  the  way  to  the  Quartermaster's  vv^agoa, 
and  then  rehearsed  it  for  that  officer's  entertainment. 

Fortunately,  the  Quartermaster  had  a  box  of  shoes 
that  he  could  get  at  without  much  trouble,  and  he  was  in 
sufficiently  good  humor  to  grant  Si's  request. 

They  added  a  vrarm  pair  of  socks  to  each  pair  of  shoes, 
and  so  wrought  upon  the  A.  Q.  M.'s  sympathies  that  he 
threw  in  some  damaged  overcoats,  and  other  articles, 
which  he  said  he  could  report  '%st  in  action." 

They  came  back  loaded  with  stuff,  which  they  dumped 
down  on  the  ground  before  the  prisoners^  with  the  brief 
remark : 

"Them's  all  yours.    Put  'em  on." 

The  prisoners  vvcre  overwhelmed  by  this  generosity  on 
the  part  of  their  foes  and  captors. 

"I  alluz  thought,"  said  the  Sergeant,  "that  you  Yan- 
kees wuz  not  half  so  bad  ez  1  believed  that  yo'uns  wuz. 
Yo'uns  is  white  men,  if  yo'uns  do  want  to  take  away 
our  niggers." 

"Gosh,"  said  the  man  who  had  uttered  the  opinion  that 
it  Vvas  a  rich  man's  war  and  a  poor  man's  fight,  "I'd  give 
all  my  interest  in  every  nigger  in  Tennessee  for  that  ere 
one  pa'r  o'  shoes.  They're  beauties,  I  tell  you.  I  never 
had  so  good  a  pa'r  afore  in  all  my  life." 


38 


SI  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


CHAPTER  V. 
INING  UP  ON  THE  BANKS  OF  STONE  RIVER. 

'*Ram  agin  to-day,"  said  Shorty,  disgustedly,  as,  on 
the  morning  of  Dee.  30,  1862,  he  crawled  out  of  the  shelter 
which  he  and  Si  had  constructed  by  laying  a  pole  in  the 
crotches  of  two  young  cedars,  and  stretching  their  pon- 
chos and  pup-tents  over  it.  "Doggoned  if  I  don't  believe 
Tennessee  w^as  left  out  in  the  flood,  and  they've  been 
tryin'  to  make  up  for  it  ever  since.  I'd  rather  have  the 
flood  at  once,  and  be  done  with  it,  for  then  I'd  join  the 
navy  instead  of  paddlin'  'round  in  this  dirty  glue  that  they 
call  mud." 

"Never  saw  such  a  grumbler.  Shorty,"  said  Si  cheerily, 
as  he  punched  the  soaked  embers  together  to  start  a 
blaze  to  boil  their  coffee  by.  "Last  Summer  the  dust  and 
dry  weather  didn't  suit  you.  Do  you  want  to  do  your 
soldierin'  in  heaven?" 

"Hurry  up  with  your  grub,  boys,"  said  the  Orderly- 
Sergeant,  who  came  spattering  through  the  muck  of 
leaves  and  mud  into  which  the  camping-ground  had 
been  trampled.  "The  regiment's  to  move  in  15  minutes. 
The  200th  Ind.  guards  wagon-trains  to-day.  Yesterday 
Wheeler's  cavalry  got  in  among  our  wagons  and  raised 
thunder — burnt  about  a  mile  of  'em.** 

Shorty  grumbled  :  "That  means  a  tough  day's  work 
pryin'  wagons  out  of  the  mud,  and  restin'  ourselves  be- 
tw^een  times  runnin'  after  a  lot  o'  skippin',  cavortin'  cav- 
alry that's  about  as  easy  to  ketch  as  a  half-bushel  o* 
fleas.  Anything  I  hate  it's  rebel  cavalry— all  tear-around 
and  yell,  and  when  you  git  ready  to  shoot  they're  on 
the  other  side  o'  the  hill,'* 


LINING  UP  ON  THE  BANKS  OF  STONE  RIVEK.  39 


"Well/'  said  Si,  removing  a  slab  of  sizzling  fat  pork  from 
the  end  of  his  rammer,  laying  it  on  his  hardtack,  and 
taking  a  generous  bite,  '*we  musn't  allow  them  to  take 
no  wagons  away  from  the  200tli  Ind.,  slosh  around  as 
they  may.    We  want  all  that  grub  ourselves." 


EARNING  THIRTEEN  DOLLARS  A  MONTH. 


"Well,  hump  yourselves,"  said  the  Orderly-Sergeant, 
as  he  spattered  on;  "fall  in  promptly  when  the  assemby 
blows.    Got  plenty  o'  cartridges?"  ^ 

Two  or  three  hours  later  every  man  in  the  200th  Ind., 
wet  to  the  skin,  and  with  enough  mud  on  him  to  be  as- 
sessable as  real  estate,  was  in  a  temper  to  have  "sassed 
his  gentle  old  grandmother  and  whipped  his  best  iriendU 


40  SI  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 

He  believed  that  if  there  was  anything  under  heavens 
meaner  than  Tennessee  weather  it  was  an  army  mule; 
the  teamsters  had  even  less  sense  and  more  contrariness 
than  the  mules;  the  army  wagon  was  a  disheartening 
device  of  the  devil,  and  Tennessee  roads  had  been  es- 
pecially contrived  by  Jeff  Davis  to  break  the  hearts  of 
Union  soldiers. 

The  rain  came  down  with  a  steady  pelt  that  drove 
right  through  to  the  body.  The  wagon  wheels  sank  into 
every  mud-hole  and  made  it  deeper.  Prying  out  the 
leading  ones  seemed  only  to  make  it  worse  for  the  next. 
The  discouraged  mules  would  settle  back  in  the  breech- 
ingS;  and  not  pull  an  ounce  at  the  most  critical  moments. 
The  drivers  would  become  blundering  idiots,  driveling 
futile  profanity.  In  spite  of  all  the  mud  the  striving, 
pushing,  pulling,  prying,  lifting,  shouting  200th  Ind. 
gathered  up  on  their  hands  and  clothes,  it  increased 
momentarily  in  the  road. 

The  train  had  strung  out  over  a  mile  or  more  of  rocky 
ledges  and  abysses  of  mire.  Around  each  wagon  was  a 
squad  who  felt  deeply  injured  by  the  certainty  that  their 
infernal  luck  had  given  them  the  heaviest  wagon,  the 
worst  mules,  and  the  most  exasperating  driver  in  the 
whole  division. 

*T  couldn't  've  made  a  doggoneder  fool  than  Ground- 
hog, that  teams'ter,"  said  Shorty,  laying  down  his  rail  for 
a  minute's  rest,  "if  I'd  'a'  had  Thompson's  colt  before 
my  eyes  for  a  pattern.  That  feiier  was  born  addled,  on 
Friday,  in  the  dark  of  the  moon." 

i  "Them  mules,"  dolefully  corroborated  Si,  scraping  an 
acre,  more  or  less,  of  red  Tennessee  soil  from  his  over- 
coat with  a  stick,  "need  to  be  broke  again — with  a  saw- 
log.  Lucky  for  old  Job  that  the  devil  didn't  think  o'  set- 
tin'  him  to  drive  mules.  He'd  'a'  bin  a-goner  in  less'n 
an  houiu" 


LINING  UP  ON  THE  BANKS  OF  STONE  RIVER.  41 


'^Doggone  it,  tliere  they  come/'  said  Shorty,  snatching 
up  his  gun. 

Si  looked  in  the  direction  of  Shorty's  glance.  Out  of 
the  cedars,  a  mile  or  more  away,  burst  a  regiment  of  rebel 
cavalry,  riding  straight  for  the  front  of  the  train. 

With  his  tribe's  keen  apprehension  of  danger,  Ground- 
hog had  jumped  from  his  saddle,  nervously  unhitched 
his  mule,  and  sprung  into  the  saddle  again,  ready  for 
instant  flight. 

*'Get  off  and  hook  that  mule  up  agin,"  commanded  Si 
sternly.  "Now  get  on  your  mule  and  2»o  to  the  head  of 
your  team,  take  the  leaders  by  the  bridles,  and  stay 
there. 

"If  you  aint  standing  there  holding  your  mules  when 
we  come  back  ril  break  your  worthless  neck." 

The  bugle  sounded  "Eally  on  the  right  flank,"  and  Si 
and  Shorty  joined  the  others  in  a  lumbering  rush  over 
the  miry  fields  toward  the  right.  Their  soaked  clothes 
hung  about  them  like  lead.  They  had  not  a  spoonful  of 
breath  left  w^hen  they  got  to  where,  half-a-mile  away, 
Co.  A  had  taken  a  position  in  the  briers  behind  a  rail 
fence,  and  had  opened  a  long-ranged  fire  on  the  cavalry, 
which  was  manuvering  as  if  trying  to  discover  a  way  to 
take  the  company  in  flank.  Another  fence  ran  at  right 
angles  away  to  the  right  of  Co.  A's  position.  The  cavalry 
started  for  that. 

"Capt.  McGillicuddy,"  shouted  the  Colonel,  "take  your 
company  back  to  that  fence  as  quick  as  you  can,  run 
along  back  of  it,  and  try  to  keep  those  fellows  on  the 
other  side." 

Away  the  panting  company  rushed  for  the  fence.  The 
field  was  overgrown  with  those  pests  of  the  Southern 
plowman,  called  locally  "devil's  shoe-strings,"  w^hich 
stretch  from  furrow-ridge  to  furrow-ridge,  and  are  snares 
to  any  careless  walker.    The  excited  Indianians  were 


42 


SI  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


constantly  tripped  on  tliese,  and  fell  headlong  in  the 
mud.  Down  Si  and  Shorty  went  several  times,  to  the 
great  damage  of  their  tempers.  But  in  spite  of  all— rain, 
mud,  lack  of  breath  and  devil's  shoe-strings — the  com- 
pany got  to  the  fence  in  advance  of  the  cavalry,  and 
opened  a  scattering  fire  as  eachjman  could  get  his  damp 
gun  to  go  off.  Si  and  Shorty  ran  back  a  little  to  a  hillock, 
from  which  they  could  get  long-distance  [shots  on  where 
the  cavalry  would  probably  try  to  tear  down  the  fence. 

"It's  all  of  600  yards.  Si,"  said  Shorty,  as  he  leaned 
against  a  young  oak,  got  his  breath  back  in  long  gulps, 
and  studied  the  ground.  "We  kin  make  it,  though, 
with  our  Springfields,  if  they'll  give  us  time  to  cool  down 
and  git  our  breaths.  1  declar  I  w^ant  a  whole  Town- 
ship of  fresh  air  every  second.  That  last  time  I  fell 
knocked  enough  breath  out  o'  me  to  fill  a  balloon." 

"There,  they're  sendin'  out  a  squad  now  to  go  for  the 
fence,"  said  Si,  putting  his  sight  up  to  600  yards.  "I'll 
line  on  that  little  persimmon  tree  and  shoot  as  they  pass 
it.,j^^  J'll  take  the  fellow  on  the  clay  bank  horse,  who 
seems  to  be  an  officer.  You  take  the  next  one  on  the 
spotted  bay." 

"Better  shoot  at  the  boss,"  said  Shorty,  fixing  hia 
sight.  "Bigger  mark;  and  if  you  git  the  boss  you  git  the 
man." 

The  squad  made  a  rush  for  the  fence,  but  as  the 
leader  crossed  the  line  Si  had  drawn  on  the  persimmon 
tree  through  his  sights,  his  musket  cracked,  and  the 
horse  reared  and  fell  over  in  the  mud.  Shorty  broke  the 
shoulder  of  the  next  horse,  and  the  rider  had  to  jump  off. 

"Bully  shots,  boys.  Do  it  again,"  shouted  the  Captain 
of  Co.  Q,  hurrying  some  men  farther  to  the  right,  to  con- 
centrate a  fire  upon  the  exposed  point. 

Si  and  Shorty  hastily  reloaded,  and  fired  again  at  the 
i^bels,  Avho  had  pressed  on  toward  the  fence,  in  spite  o^ 


LINING  UP  ON  THE    BANKS  OF  STONE  RIYER.  43 


tlie  fall  of  their  leader.  But  not  having  at  the  moment 
an  object  in  line  to  sight  on,  Si  and  Shorty  did  not  suc- 
ceed in  bringing  anybody  down.  But  as  they  looked  to 
see  the  effect;  they  also  saw  a  cannon-flash  from  a  hill 


A  CLOSE  CALL. 


away  off  behind  the  cavalry,  and  the  same  instant  its 
rifled  shot  took  the  top  off  the  young  oak  about  six  feet 
above  Si^s  head. 

Shorty  was  the  first  to  recover  his  wits  and  tongue. 

''Dog-goned  if  somebody  else  hain't  been  drawin' If 


44 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHOETY. 


bead  on  trees,"  lie  said,  looking  into  Si's  startled  face 
Knows  how  to  shoot,  too." 

'^^'1  didn't  notice  that  measly  gun  come  up  there.  Dia 
you,  Shorty?"  said  Si,  trying  to  get  his  heart  back  out  of 
his  mouth,  so  that  he  could  speak  plainly. 

^^No,  I  didn't.  But  it's  there  all  the  same,  and  the  fel- 
lers with  it  have  blood  in  their  eyes.'  Le's  run  over  to 
where  the  other  boys  are.  I'm  a  private  citizen.  I 
don't  like  so  much  public  notice.'^ 

^(They  joined  the  squad  which  was  driving  back  the 
rebels  who  had  started  out  to  break  the  fence. 

Presently  the  cavalry  wheeled  about  and  disappeared 
in  the  woods.  The  rear  was  scarcely  out  of  sight,  and 
the  200th  Ind.  was  just  beginning  to  feel  a  sense  of  relifef, 
when  there  was  a  sputter  of  shots  and  a  chorus  of  yells 
away  off  to  the  extreme  left. 

j^lj^^Just  as  I  expected,"  grumbled  Shorty.  "They  are 
jumping  the  rear  of  the  train  now." 

i ,  Leaving  Co.  A  to  watch  the  head  of  the  train,  the  rest 
of  the  regiment  bolted  off  on  the  double-quick  for  the 
rear.  They  did  not  get  there  a  moment  too  soon.  Not 
soon  enough,  in  fact.  As  they  came  over  the  crest  of  the 
hill  they  saw  Co.  B,  which  had  been  with  the  rear,  hav- 
ing more  than  it  could  attend  to  with  a  horde  of  yelling, 
galloping  rebels,  who  filled  the  little  valley.^'Co.  B's 
boys  were  standing  up  manfully  to  their  work,  and  pop- 
ping away  at  the  rebels  from  behind  fences  and  rocks, 
but  the  latter  had  already  gotten  away  from  them  a 
wagon  which  had  been  far  to  the  rear,  had  cut  loose  the 
anules  and  run  them  off,  and  were  plundering  the  wagon, 
and  trying  to  start  a  fire  under  it. 

^  The  fusillade  which  the  regiment  opened  as  the  men 
gained  the  crest  of  the  hill,  put  a  different  complexion 
on  the  affair.  The  rebels  recognizred  the  force  of  circum- 
Istances^  and  s;^dily  ro^         mi     grange,  aiL^  iiieu 


LINING  UP  ON  THE   BANES  OF  STONE  EIVER  45 

out  of  sight.  As  tlie  last  of  them  disappearec!  over  the 
hill  the  ^Yea^ied  regiment  dropped  down  all  around  to  rest. 

"We  can't  rest  long,  boys,"  said  the  sympathetic  Colonel, 
^^We've  got  to  start  these  wagons  along."  ' 


THE  FRIGHTENED  TEA.MSTEIJ., 


Presently  he  gave  the  order: 

"Go  back  to  your  wagons,  now^,  and  get  them  out  as 
quickly  as  you  can." 

Bi  and  Shorty  took  a  circuit  to  the  left  to  get  on  some 
sod  v/hich  had  not  been  trfi.mpled  into  mortar.  Tliey 
heard  a  volley  of  profanity  coming  from  a  cedar  brake 
still  farther  to  the  left;  and  recognized  the  voice  of  tiieii 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


teamster.  They  went  thither,  and  found  Groundhog, 
who  had  fled  from  the  scene,  after  the  manner  of  his 
race,  at  the  first  sound  of  the  firing,  but  had  been  too 
seared  to  fasten  up  his  traces  when  he  unhitched  his 
saddle  mule.  These  had  flapped  around,  as  he  urged 
his  steed  forward,  and  the  hooks  had  caught  so  firmly 
into  the  cedars  when  he  plunged  into  the  thicket  that 
he  was  having  a  desperate  time  getting  them  loose. 

"You  dumbed,  measly  coward,"  said  Si.  ^'1  told  you  I'd 
blow  your  head  off  en  you  if  you  didn't  stay  by  them 
mules.   I  ought  to  do  it." 

"Don't,  Si,"  said  Shorty.  "He  deserves  it,  and  we  kin 
do  it  some  other  time.  But  we  need  him  now  in  our 
business.  He  hain't  much  of  a  head,  but  it's  all  that 
he's  got— and  he  can't  drive  without  it.  Le's  git  the  mulo 
loose  first." 

They  got  the  mule  out  and  turned  him  around  toward 
the  wagons. 

"Now,"  said  Shorty,  addressing  Groundhog,  "you  white- 
livered  son-in-law  of  a  jackass,  git  back  to  that  wagon 
as  fast  you  kin  go,  if  you  don't  want  me  to  run  this 
bayonet  through  you." 

There  was  more  straining  and  prying  in  the  dreary 
rain  and  fathomless  mud  to  get  the  wagons  started. 

"Shorty,"  said  Si,  as  they  plodded  alongside  the  road, 
with  a  rail  on  one  shoulder  and  a  gun  on  the  other,  "1 
really  believe  that  this  is  the  toughest  day  we've  had 
yet.  What  d'you  s'pose  father  and  mother'd  say  if  they 
could  see  us?" 

"They'd  probably  say  we  wuz  earning  our  |13  a  month, 
with  $100  bounty  at  the  end  o'  three  years,"  snapped 
Shorty,  who  was  in  no  mood  for  irrelevant  conversation. 

So  the  long,  arduous  day  went.  When  they  were  not 
pulling,  pushing,  prying,  and  yelling,  to  get  the  wagons 
QMi  oi  mud  lii^lesj  they  w.ere  rushing  over  the  clogging, 


LINING  UP  ON  THE  BANKS  OF  STONE 


47 


plowed  fields  to  stand  off  the  nagging  rebel  cavalry, 
wliieli  seemed  to  fill  the  country  as  full  as  the  rain,  the 
mud,  the  rocks  and  the  weeping  cedars  did.  As  night 
drew  on  they  came  up  to  lines  of  fires  where  the  different 
divisions  were  going  into  line-of-battle  along  the  banks 
of  Stone  River.  The  mud  became  deeper  than  ever,  from 
the  trampling  of  tens  of  thousands  of  men  and  animals, 
but  they  at  least  did  not  have  the  aggravating  rebel 
cavalry  to  bother  them.  They  found  their  division  at 
last  in  an  old  cotton  field,  and  were  instantly  surrounded 
by  a  crowd  of  hungry,  angry  men. 

"Where  in  blazes  have  you  fellers  bin  all  day?"  they 
shouted.  "You  ought  to've  got  up  here  hours  ago.  We're 
about  starved." 

"Go  to  thunder,  you  ungrateful  whelps,"  said  Si.  "Yoa 
kiia  gii  jous  «wn  w^aas  up  after  tkU-  I'ii  ttdver  helg 
guard  another  wagoa-irain  as  long  as  Fm  in  the  army." 


48 


SI  KLEGG   AND  SHOETY 


CHAPTER  VI. 

ON  THE  STOExMY  BANKS  OF  STONE  ElVER. 

The  fagged-out  200tli  Incl.  was  put  in  reserve  to  the 
brioade,  -ivhich  lay  in  line-of-battle. 

After  having  got  the  trai;?  safely  into  camp,  the  regi- 
ment felt  that  it  Avas  incapable  oi  moving  another  foot. 

While  their  coffee  was  boiling  Si  and  Shorty  broke  off 
a  few  cedar  branches  to  lay  under  them,  and  keep  them 
out  of  the  mud.  The  rain  still  drizzled,  cold,  searching 
and  depressing,  but  they  were  too  utterly  tired  to  do  any- 
thing more  than  spread  their  overcoats  on  the  branches, 
lay  their  blankets  and  ponchos  over,  and  crawl  in  between. 

In  the  few  minutes  which  they  allovxed  to  elapse  be- 
tween getting  into  camp  and  going  to  sleep  they  saw 
and  heard  something  of  the  preparations  going  on  around 
them  for  the  mighty  battle,  but  body  and  brain  were  too 
weary  to  properly  "sense"  these.  They  hardly  cared 
w^hat  might  happen  to-morrow.  Rest  for  to-day  was 
everything.  They  were  too  weary  to  worry  about  any- 
thing in  the  future. 

"It  certainly  looks,  Shorty,"  said  Si,  as  crawled  in, 
"like  as  if  the  circus  was  in  town,  and  the  big  show'd 
come  off  to-morrow,  without  regard  to  the  weather." 

"Let  it  come  and  be  blamed  to  it,"  snorted  Shorty. 
"They  can't  git  up  nothin'  wuss'n  we've  bin  havin'  to- 
day, let  them  try  their  durnedest.  But  I  tell  you,  Mr. 
Si  Klegg,  I  want  you  to  lay  mighty  still  to-night.  If  you 
git  to  rollin'  around  in  your  usual  animated  style  and 
tanglin'  up  the  bedclothes,  I'll  kick  you  out  into  the  raiiu 
and  make  you  stay  there.    Do  you  hear  me?" 


ON  THE  STORMY  BAXKS  OF  STOXE  RIVER. 


49 


*Tou  bet  I'll  lay  quiet,-'  said  Si.  as  together  iliey  gave 
the  skillful  little  kick  only  known  to  veteran  campaigners 
bv  which,  they  brought  the  blankets  snugly  up  around 
their  feet.  ''You  could  sooner  wake  up  a  fence-rail  than 
me.  I  want  to  tell  you,  too,  not  to  git  to  dreamin'  of 
pryin'  wagons  out  of  the  mud,  and  chasin'  rebel  cavalry. 
I  won't  have  it.'' 

The  reveille  the  next  morning  would  have  promptly 
awakened  even  more  tired  sleepers  than  Si  and  Shorty. 
Eyen  before  the  didl,  damp  drums  began  rolling  and  the 
fifes  shrieking  the  air  of  enforced  gaiety  along  the  sinu- 
ous line  of  blue  which  stretched  for  miles  through  red, 
muddy  cotton-fields  and  cedar  tangles  v-et  as  bath-room 
sponires,  there  came  from  far  away  on  the  extreme  right 
a  dee-pening  roll  of  musketry,  punctuated  with  angry 
cannon-shots  and  the  faint  echo  of  yells  and  answering 
cheers. 

''That's  !McCook  opening  the  battle,''  said  the  officers ^ 
answering  the  anxious  looks  of  the  men.  ''He's  to  hold 
the  re]:)els  out  there,  while  Crittenden  sweeps  around  on 
the  left,  captures  iMurfreesboro,  and  takes  them  in  the 
rear." 

Miles  away  to  the  left  came  the  sound  of  musketry  and 
cannons,  as  if  to  confirm  this.  But  the  firing  there  died 
dovn,  while  that  to  the  riglit  increased  with  regular, 
crashing  volleys  from  muskets  and  artillery. 

The  200th  Ind.  was  in  that  exceedingly  trying  positioa 
for  soldiers,  where  they  can  hear  everything  but  see 
nothing.  The  cedar  thicket  in  which  they  stood  shut  off 
the  view  in  every  direction.  The  Colonel  kept  ofncers 
and  men  standing  strictly  in  place,  ready  for  any  con- 
tingency. Si  and  Shorty  leaned  on  their  muskets  aud 
anxiously  watched  the  regimental  commander  as  he  sat 
rigidly  in  his  saddle,  with  his  fixed  gaze  bent  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  awful  tumult.  ,^^The  Adjutant  had  ridden  for- 


50 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


ward  a  little  ways  to  where  he  could  get  a  better  view. 
The  oilier  officers  stood  stiffly  in  their  places,  with  the 
points  of  their  drawn  swords  resting  on  the  ground,  and 
their  hands  clasped  on  the  hilts,  and  watched  the  Colonel 
intently.    Sometimes  they  would  whisper  a  few  words  to 


THERE'LL  BE  A  MILLION  REBELS  ON  TOP  0'  YOU. 


those  standing  near  them.  The  Captain  of  Co.  Q  drew 
geometric  figures  in  the  mud  with  the  point  of  his  sword  • 

Constantly  the  deafening  crash  came  nearer,  and  crept 
around  farther  to  the  right. 

Si  gave  a  swift  glance  at  Shorty.  His  partner^s  teeth 
were  set,  his  face  drawn  and  bloodless^  his  eyes  fixed 
immovably  on  the  Colonel* 


THE  STOEMY  BANKS  OF  STOXE  RIVER.  51 


*'x\wful  fightin'  goin'  on  out  there.  Shorty,"  said  Si,  in 

hushed  voice.    "I'm  afraid  they're  lickin'  our  fellers." 

''Confound  it!"  snorted  Shorty,  ''why  in  thunder  don't 
ihey  move  us  out,  and  give  us  something  to  do?  This  is 
hell  standin'  here  listenin'." 

A  teamster,  hatless  and  coatless,  with  his  hair  stand- 
ing up,  came  tearing  through  the  brush,  mounted  on  his 
e  addle-mule. 

A  chorus  of  yells  and  curses  greeted  his  appearance. 
^  was  immense  relief  for  the  men  to  have  something  to 
swear  at, 

"Eun,  you  egg-sucking  hound. ^ 

"Run,  you  scald-headed  dominie 

"Somebody  busted  a  cap  in  your  neighborhood,  old 
white-liver?'' 

"Seen  the  ghost  of  a  dead  rebel,  Pilgarlic?'* 

"Pull  back  your  eyes,  you  infernal  mulew^hacker.  A 
limb'U  brush  'em  ofi." 

"Look  at  his  hair — standin'  up  stiffer'n  bristles  on  a 
boar's  back." 

"Your  mule's  got  more  sand  'n  you.  They're  standing 
where  you  left  'em." 

"Of  course,  you're  whipped  and  all  cut  to  pieces.  You 
was  that  when  you  heard  the  first  gun  crack."  ~ 

"'Get  out  of  the  way,  and  let  him  run  himself  to  death. 
That's  all  he's  fit  for'!" 

"You've  no  business  in  men's  clothes.  Put  on  petti- 
coats." 

"Go  it,  rabbit;  go  it,  cotton-taU—you've  heard  a  dog 
bark," 

"Chickee— ehickee— skip  for  the  barn.  Hawk's  in  the 
air." 

"Let  him  alone.   Fa'-q  I'n  a  hurry  to  get^^back^nd  j^eij 
his  sutler's  bill." 
Tlie  t ^^stei  gasE^ed  out :  , 


52 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


*'You'd  better  all  git  out  o'  here  as  fast  as  the  Lord'H 
let  you.  Johnston's  Division's  cut  all  to  pieces  and  run- 
nin'.  There'll  be  a  million  rebels  on  top  o'  you  in  an- 
other m  inn  it." 

"Capt.  McGillicuddy/'  said  the  Colonel  sternly,  but 
without  turning  his  head,  "either  bayonet  that  cowardly 
rascal  or  gag  him  and  tie  him  to  a  tree." 

The  Captain  turned  to  give  the  order  to  Corp'l  Klegg, 
but  the  teamster  struck  his  mule  with  his  whip,  and 
went  tearing  on  through  the  brush  before  the  order  could 
be  given. 

Some  severely-wounded  men  came  slowiy  pushing  their 
way  through  the  chaparral. 

"It's  awful  hot  out  there,"  they  said.  ^'The  rebels  got 
the  start  oi  us,  and  caught  our  battery  horses  off  to 
water.  They  outflanked  us  bad,  but  the  boys  are 
standin'  up  to  'em  and  they're  gettin'  help,  and  '11  lick 
the  stuflin'  out  of  'em  yet." 

The  regiment  gave  the  plucky  fellows  a  cheer. 

A  riderless  horse,  frantic  from  his  wounds  and  the 
terrific  noise,  tore  through  the  brush,  and  threatened  to 
dash  over  Co.  Q.  Si  and  Shorty  saw  the  danger,  and  be- 
fore the  Captain  could  give  an  order  they  sprang  forward, 
and,  at  considerable  risk,  succeeded  in  getting  hold  of 
the  reins  and  partially  calming  the  poor  brute.  The 
eagles  on  the  saddlecloth  showed  that  he  belonged  to  a 
Colonel.  He  was  led  to  the  rear,  and  securely  haltered 
to  a  young  cedar.  The  incident  served  a  purpose  in  dis- 
tracting for  awhile  the  attention  of  the  regiment. 

The  noise  in  front  and  to  the  right  swept  farther  away 
for  a  little  while,  and  the  men's  hearts  rose  with  a  cheer. 

"Now  the  reinforcements  are  getting  in.  Why  in  the 
world  don't  they  send  us  for^vard?"  they  said. 

The  Colonel  still  sat  rigidly,  with  his  face  straight  to 
the  iiont. 


ON  THE  STORMY  BANKS  OF  STONE  RIVER. 


53 


Then  the  noise  began  to  roll  nearer  again,  and  the 
men's  hearts  to  sink. 

The  wounded  men  coming  back  became  a  continuous 
procession.    They  spoke  less  confidently,  and  were  anxi- 


"THE  WHOLE  CONFEDERACY'S  OUT  THERE." 


ous  to  know  what  was  talving  place  on  otlier  parts  of  the 
line. 

"The  whole  infernal  Southern  Confederacy's  out  there," 
said  one  boy,  who  was  holdine^  his  shattered  right  hand 


54  SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 

in  his  left,  ^^itll  his  thumb  pressed  hard  on  the  artery,  to 
stanch  the  blood,  "in  three  lines-of-battle,  stretching 
from  daybreak  to  sunset.  The  boys  have  been  standing 
them  off  bully,  though,  but  I  don't  know  how  long  they 


TWO  MUSICIANS  CAME  LABORING  THROUGH. 


can  keep  it  up.    Thomas  and  Crittenden^ought  to  be 
walking  right  over  everything,  for  there  can't  be  anybody 
in  front  of  them.    They're  all  out  there." 
Two  musicians   came  laboring  through,  carrying  9 


ON  THE  STORMY  BANKS  OF  STONE  HIYER.  55 

s-iTetcher  on  whicli  was  an  officer  with  part  of  His  face 
S'hot  away.  Si  felt  himself  growing  white  around  the 
mouth  and  sick  at  the  stomachy  but  he  looked  Hie 
other  way,  and  drew  in  a  long,  full  breath. 

The  storm  now  seemed  to  be  rolling  toward  them  at 
railroad  speed.  Suddenly  the  woods  became  alire  with 
men  running  back,  some  with  their  guns  in  their  hands, 
many  mthout.  Some  were  white  with  fear,  and  silent; 
some  were  in  a  delirium  of  rage,  and  veiling  curses. 
Officers,  bareheaded,  and  wiklly  excited,  were  waving  their 
swords,  and  calling  regiments  and  companies  by  name 
to  halt  and  rally. 

The  Adjutant  came  galloping  Dack,  his  horse  knocking 
the  fugitives  right  and  left.  He  shouted,  to  make  him- 
self heard  in  the  din : 

*The  whole  di^asion  is  broken  and  going  back.  Our 
brigade  is  trying  to  hold  the  rebels.  They  need  us  at 
once." 

The  Colonel  turned  calmly  in  his  saddle,  and  his  voice 
rang  out  clear,  distinct,  and  measured,  as  if  on  parade: 
"Attention,  200th  Indiana!" 
"Loadat  wiU-LOAD!" 

A  windrow  of  bright  ramrods  flashed  and  weaved  in 
the  air.  A  wave  of  sharp,  metallic  clicks  ran  from  one 
end  of  the  line  to  the  other. 

"Shoulder-ARMS!" 

''Eight— FACE  r 

^'Forward-MARCH!" 

What  happened  immediately  after  emerging  from  the 
cedars  Si  could  never  afterward  distinctly  recall.  He 
could  only  vaguely  remember — as  one  does  the  impres- 
sions of  a  delirium— seeing,  as  the  regiment  swung  from 
column  into  line,  a  surging  sea  of  brown  men  dashing 
forward  against  a  bank  of  blue  running  along  a  rail 
fence,  and  from  which  rose  incessant  flasll^  of  fiie  and 


56 


SI   KLEGSG   AND  SHORTY* 


clouds  of  wliKe  smoke.  The  200th  Ind.  rushed  down  to 
the  fence,  to  the  right  of  the  others;  the  fierce  flashes 
flared  along  its  front;  the  white  smoke  curled  upward 
from  it.  He  did  not  remember  any  order  to  begin  firing; 
did  not  remember  when  he  began.  He  only  remembered 
presently  feeling  his  gun-barrel  so  hot  that  it  burned  his 
hand,  but  this  made  him  go  on  firing  more  rapidly  than 
before.  He  was  dimly  conscious  of  his  comrades  drop- 
ping around  him,  but  this  did  not  affect  him.  He  also 
remembered  catching  sight  of  Shorty's  face,  and  noticing 
that  it  was  as  black  as  that  of  a  negro,  but  this  did  not 
seem  strange. 

He  felt  nothing,  except  a  consuming  rage  to  shoot  into 
and  destroy  those  billows  of  brown  fiends  surging  inces- 
santly toward  him.  Consciousness  only  came  back  to 
him  after  the  billows  had  surged  backward  into  the 
woods,  leaving  the  red  mud  of  the  field  splotched  with 
brown  lumps,  which  had  lately  been  men. 

As  his  mind  cleared  his  hand  flinched  from  the  hot 
gun-barrel,  and  he  looked  down  curiously  to  see  the  rain- 
drops turn  into  steam  as  they  struck  it.  His  throat  was 
afire  from  the  terrible  powder  thirst.  He  lifted  his  can- 
teen to  his  lips  and  almost  drained  it.  He  drew  a  long 
breath,  and  looked  around  to  see  what  had  happened 
since  they  left  the  cedars.  Shorty  was  by  his  side,  and 
unhurt.  He  now  understood  why  his  face  was  so  black. 
He  could  feel  the  thick  incrustation  of  powder  and  sweat 
on  his  own.  Several  of  Co.  Q  were  groaning  on  the 
ground,  and  the  Captain  w^as  detailing  men  to  carry 
them  back  to  where  the  Surgeon  had  established  him- 
self. Two  were  past  all  surgery,  staring  with  soulless 
eyes  into  the  lowering  clouds. 

"Poor  Bill  and  Ebe,"  said  Si,  gazing  sorrowfully  at  the 

bodies.  "Co.  Q  will  miss  them.  AYhat  good  boys  they"  

Were"  stuck  in  his  throat.   That  those  strong,  act- 


A  GLOOMY  NEW  YEAH'S  DAY 


57 


lye,  eveFfeady  comrades  of  a  few  minutes  before  now 
merely  "were"  was  unspeakable. 

His  thouglits  were  distracted  by  a  rebel  battery  on  the 
hill  sending  a  volley  of  shells  at  the  fence.  Some  went 
over,  and  tore  gaps  in  the  cedars  beyond.  One  struck 
the  corner  of  the  fence  near  him,  and  set  the  rails  to 
flying. 

"I  like  fence-rails  in  their  place  as  well  as  any  man," 
said  Shorty,  as  they  dodged  around;  "but  a  fence-rail's 
got  no  business  sailin'  round  in  the  air  like  a  bird." 

An  Aid  rode  up  to  the  Colonel. 

"The  General's  compliments.  Colonel.  He  directs  me 
to  express  to  you  his  highest  compliments  on  the  splen- 
did manner  in  which  you  have  defended  your  position. 
You  and  your  men  have  done  nobly.  But  we  are  out- 
flanked, and  it  will  be  necessary  to  retire  to  a  new  posi- 
tion about  a  half-mile  to  the  rear.  You  will  Avithdraw 
your  regiment  by  companies,  so  as  to  attract  as  little  at- 
tention from  the  enemy  as  possible.  As  soon  as  they  are 
v.nder  cover  of  the  cedars  you  will  move  rapidly  to  the 
new  position." 

"Very  well,"  said  the  Colonel,  saluting.  "You  will  be 
good  enough  to  say  to  the  General  that  my  men  and 
myself  appreciate  highly  his  praise.  AYe  are  proud  to 
receive  it,  and  sball  try  to  deserve  it  in  the  future.  His 
orders  shall  be  immediately  obeyed." 

"They  call  this  a  civil  war,"  said  Shorty,  as  another 
volley  of  shells  tore  around.  "Seems  to  me  sometimes 
that  it's  too  durned  civil.  If  we're  goin'  to  git  out  of  here, 
we  might  save  compliments  for  a  quieter  time." 

One  by  one  the  companies  filed  back  into  the  cedars, 
Co.  Q  being  the  last.  Just  as  they  started  the  rebels  on 
the  opposite  hill  discovered  the  movement,  raised  a  yell, 
and  started  across  the  field 

fHalt-Front!"  commanded  the  Captain.    "Those  fel- 


58 


SI  KLEGG   AND  SHOETY. 


lows  are  too  tumultuous  and  premature.  We  must  check 
them  up  a  little.  Wait  till  they  come  to  that  little 
branch,  then  everybody  pick  his  man  and  let  him  have 
it.    Aim  below  the  belt." 

The  frenzy  of  the  first  struggle  was  now  gone  from  Si's 
mind;  instead  had  come  a  deadly  determination  to  make 
every  shot  tell. 

"I'm  goin'  to  fetch  that  mounted  officer  on  their  right," 
he  said  to  Shorty  and  those  around  him. 

"Very  well,"  said  Shorty.  "I'll  take  that  Captain  near 
him  who's  wavin'  his  sword  and  yellin'.  The  rest  o'  you 
fellers  pick  out  different  men." 

The  rebel  line  was  in  the  weeds  which  bordered  the 
branch  when  the  Captain  gave  the  order  to  fire. 

When  the  smoke  rose  the  mounted  officer  and  the  yell- 
ing Captain  were  down. 

"If  somebody  else  didn't  get  them,  we  did,"  saic 
Shorty,  as  they  turned  and  rushed  back  into  the  cedars- 

The  rebels  were  only  checked  momentarily.  They 
soon  came  swarming  on,  and  as  Co.  Q  crashed  through 
the  cedars  the  rebels  were  yelling  close  behind.  For- 
tunately, they  could  not  do  any  effective  firing,  on  ac- 
count of  the  brush.  But  when  they  came  to  the  edge  of 
the  thicket  there  was  a  long  run  across  a  furrowed, 
muddy  cottonfield,  to  reach  the  knoll  on  which  the  bri- 
gade was  reforming.  The  battery  was  already  in  action 
there,  throwing  shells  over  the  heads  of  Co.  Q  at  the 
rebels  swarming  out  of  the  cedars  in  pursuit. 

Si  and  Shorty  threw  away  overcoats,  blankets,  haver- 
sacks and  canteens — everything  which  would  impede 
their  running,  except  their  guns  and  cartridge-boxes. 
Their  caps  were  gone,  and  Si  had  lost  one  shoe  in  the 
mud.  They  all  sat  down  on  th©  ground  for  a  minute 
and  panted  to  get  their  breath. 

The  rebels  were  checked,  but  only  temporarily.  They 


A  GLOOMY  XEW  YEAR'S  DAY. 


59 


were  tlirciKiing  out  in  countless  muliiiLidc-?,  lining  up 
into  regiments  and  brigades;  prepciiaicry  to  a  ri'.sli  across 
the  field  upon  tlie  brigade.  Away  to  the  right  of  the 
brii^^ade  rebel  batteries  had  been  concentrated,  ^vilich 
were  slieliino-  it  and  the  ground  to  the  rear,  to  p:-event 
any  assistance  being  sent  it. 

"Captain/"'  said  the  Colonel,  riding  up  to  Co.  Q.  '"'the 
General  says  that  we  have  got  to  stay  here  and  hold 
those  fellows  back  until  the  new  line  can  be  formed 
along  the  pike.  ^Ye  haven't  ammunition  enough  for  an- 
other fight.  You'll  have  to  send  a  Corporal  and  a  squad 
back  to  the  pike  to  bring  up  some  more.  Pick  out  men 
that'll  be  sure  to  come  back,  and  in  a  hurry." 

'''Corp'l  Klegg/"'  said  the  Captain,  without  an  instant's 
hesitation,  ''you  hear  what's  to  be  done.  Take  five  men 
and  go." 

Si  looked  around  to  see  if  there  was  someone  he  could 
borrow  a  shoe  from.  But  that  was  hardly  a  time  when 
men  were  likely  to  lend  shoes.  He  picked  Shorty  and 
four  others.  They  flttng  down  their  gtms  and  started  on 
a  run  for  the  pike. 

The  batteries  were  sweeping  the  fields  with  shells,  but 
they  were  so  intent  on  their  errand  that  they  paid  no  at- 
tention to  the  iemoniac  shrieks  of  the  hurtling  pieces  of 
iron. 

They  gained  the  other  side  of  the  field,  but  as  they 
entered  the  welcome  shelter  of  the  v\'Oods  they  encoun- 
tered an  officer  with  a  draT\  n  sword,  commanding  a  line  of 
men. 

"Stop  there,  you  infernal,  cowardly  rascals,"  he  yelled. 
"Pick  up  those  guns  there,  and  get  into  line,  or  I'll  shoot 
you.    You,  Corporal,  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself." 

"We're  after  ammunition  for  the  200th  Ind.,"  gasped  Si. 
*'We  must  have  it  right  away.  "Where/'s  th^e  dividon  aiQ.- 
munition  train?". 


GO 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY 


"Tliat  ammunition  story's  played.  Can't  work  it  on 
me.  Where's  your  regiment?  Wbere's  your  caps?  Where's 
your  shoes?  Where's  your  guns?  You're  rattled  out  of 
your  senses.  Stop  here  and  cool  off.  Pick  up  guns  there 
and  fall  into  line." 

"Name  o'  God,  Lieutenant/'  said  Shorty  excitedly. 
"This's  no  time  for  any  foolishness.  Our  regiment's  out 
there  on  the  hill  without  any  ammunition.  The  rebels 
are  gittin'  ready  to  jump  it,  four  or  five  to  one.  Don't 
fool,  for  heaven's  sake.  There's  not  a  minute  to  waste. 
Come  with  us  and  help  us  git  the  ammunition.  That's  a 
blamed  sight  more  important  than  stoppin'  these  here 
runaways,  who're  no  good  when  they  are  stopped.  Come 
ilong,  for  God's  sake." 

His  earnestness  impressed  the  Lieutenant. 

"Lieut.  Evans,"  he  called  out,  "take  command  of  the 
line,  while  I  go  back  with  these  men  to  the  ammunition- 
train.  I  can  get  it  quicker  for  them  than  they  can. 
Your  Colonel  should  have  sent  a  commissioned  officer 
with  you." 

.  "The  Colonel  needs  all  the  officers  he  has  left  with 
him,"  panted  Shorty,  running  ahead  of  the  rest.  "Every- 
body back  there's  got  all  he  can  attend  to,  and  we  couldn't 
really  be  spared." 

There  was  a  crowd  of  similar  men  surging  around  the 
ammunition  wagons,  each  eager  to  get  his  load  and  rush 
back.  The  covers  of  the  wagons  had  been  torn  off.,  and  a 
man  stood  in  each,  pitching  the  boxes  to  the  clamoring 
details.  All  were  excited  and  reckless.  The  pitching 
would  be  wild,  or  the  catching  bad,  and  occasionally  a  box 
would  strike  a  man  on  the  head  or  the  body  and  knock 
him  down.  He  would  scarcely  stop  to  sv/ear,  but  snatch 
up  his  precious  box  and  rush  off  toward  his  regiment. 

"Open  out  here,  let  us  in,"  commanded  the  Lieutenant 
striking  right  and  left  with  the  flat  of  his  sword.    It  was 


A  GLOOMY  >TEW  YEAR'S  DAY. 


bi 


not  a  moment  for  gentle  courtesies.  The  crowd  opened 
up,  and  Si  and  Shorty  pushed  in  near  the  ^Yheels. 

"Now  give  us  six  boxes  in  a  hurry/"'  commanded  the 
Lieutenant. 

Si  caught  the  first  box.  Shorty  the  second,  and  before 
the  Lieutenant  was  hardly  done  speaking  the  rest  had 
theirs,  and  started  back  on  the  run.  accompanied  by  the 
Lieuienaut.  The  boxes  were  very  heavy  and  the  mud 
was  deep,  but  they  went  faster  than  they  had  ever  done, 
even  when  runniiig  from  the  rebels. 

'T"ni  awfully  afraid  you'll  have  a  time  getting  across 
the  field  there,'"  said  the  Lieutenant,  as  they  came  to  the 
edge,  and  he  surveyed  the  ground  in  front  doubtfully. 
'"'Lieut.  Evans  says  they've  moved  a  battery  up  closer, 
and  are  sweeping  the  field  with  canister.'' 

^'We  don't  care  what  they're  shootin',"'  said  Si  resolutelv. 
''We're  goin'  back  to  the  regiment  with  these  boxes,  or 
die  a-tryin'.'"' 

''Go  on,  then,  and  God  help  you,"  said  the  Lieutenant. 
'T'd  go  with  you  if  I  could  do  any  good." 

Si  arranged  his  box  for  a  desperate  rush.  A  blast  of 
canister  swept  through,  cutting  down  skrubs,  splattering 
the  mudj  and  shrieking  viciously. 

•'Let's  get  as  far  as  we  can  before  they  nre  asfain,"  he 
shouted,  and  plunged  forward.  Half-way  across  the  field 
his  foot  caught  in  a  "de^iPs  shoe-string,"  and  down  he 
went  in  the  mud,  with  the  heavy  box  drivin^g  him  deeper. 

Just  then  anotlier  blast  of  canister  hurtled  across  the 
field. 

"Golly,  it  was  lucky,  after  all,  that  I  was  tripped," 
said  Si,  rising,  stunned  and  dripping.  "That  lo^'^  of 
canister  was  meant  for  me  personally." 

Two  niuiates  later  he  fiung  the  box  down  before  the 
company,  and  sank  panting  on  the  ground.  The  others 
came  ug  after.    Some  had  been  grazed  by  canister,  but 


C!?  KLEGG   AND  SHORIV 

none  seriously  wounded.  They  arrived  just  in  the  nick 
of  time,  for  the  regiment  had  expended  its  last  cartridge 
in  repulsing  the  last  assault,  and  was  now  desperately 
fixing  bayonets  to  meet  the  next  with  cold  steel.  Tho 


A  LUCKY  FALL. 


lids  of  the  Doxes  were  pried  off  with  bayonets,  ana  the 
Sergeants  ran  along  the  companies  distributing  the  pack- 
ages. The  assault  was  met  with  a  stream  of  fire,  given 
with  steady  deadliness,  which  sent  the  rebels  back  to 
their  covert. 

An  Aid  ddshed  across  the  field  to  the  brigade  com- 
mander. 


A  GLOOMY  XEW  YEAR'S  DAY. 


"The  line  is  now  formed,"  he  said.  'Tietire  your  com- 
mand to  it." 

That  night,  after  the  battle  had  ceased,  Si  and  Shorty 
were  seated  on  a  rail  by  the  Xashville  pike  munching 
rations  which  they  had  luckily  found  in  a  thrown-away 
haversack.  They  were  allowed  no  fires,  they  had  no 
blankets  nor  overcoats,  and  it  was  bitter  cold. 

^'Shorty,  you  said  last  night  you  was  sure  that  they 
couldn't  git  up  nothin'  to-day  that'd  be  as  bad  as  what 
we  had  yesterday,"  said  Si.  "I  believe  that  I'd  rather 
guard  wagon-trains  and  fight  cavalry  than  have  such 
another  day  as  this." 

"I  think  the  lake  of  brimstone'd  be  a  pleasant  change 
from  this,"  snorted  Shorty. 


64 


SI  KLma  AND  SHORTY. 


CHAPTER  Vn. 

THE  NIGHT  AFTER  THE  BATTLE. 

It  was  SO  desperately  cold  and  comfortless  that  Si  and 
Shorty  felt  that  they  must  do  something  or  perish. 

There  were  some  fragments  of  cracker-boxes  near. 
With  these  they  dug  a  hole  several  inches  deep,  put 
same  splinters  in,  and  started  a  stealthy  blaze.  They 
were  careful  to  sit  on  the  side  toward  the  rebels,  the  bet- 
ter to  hide  from  them  any  sight  of  it.  It  was  a  very  small 
fire,  but  there  was  more  relief  in  it  tlian  Si  had  before 
gotten  irom  those  a  thousand  times  larger.  It  kept  his 
unshod  foot  from  freezing,  and  brought  the  blood  back  to 
his  numb  hands. 

"Just  think,  Shorty,"  murmured  Si;  "night  before  last 
we  had  a  whole  panel  of  fence  on  the  fire,  and  all  our 
blankets  and  overcoats,  and  yet  you  kicked,  Shorty.  I 
believe  this  is  a  judgment  on  you  for  not  being  thankful 
for  wheit  you  receive." 

"Judgment  be  blowed,"  ejaculated  Shorty.  "This  ain't 
no  judgment;  it's  just  durned  luck — that  is.  what  isn't 
foolishness  in  sendin'  a  boy  to  mill.  If  we'd  had  only 
half  as  many  men  out  there  in  the  cedars  as  the  rebels 
had  we'd  licked  thunder  out  of  'em.  We  simply  G-ouldn't 
whip  four  or  five  to  one.  McCook  didn't  size  up  his  job 
right." 

"Well,  we  have  something  to  be  thankful  for,"  said  Si, 
determined  to  see  the  bright  side  of  things  "Neither 
us  got  hurt,  which  is  a  blessi^ig." 

"Don't  know  whether  it  is  or  not.  If  we  are  goin'  to 
freeze  to  death  before  morniu'  I'd  rather've  bin  shot  tho 
first  volley. '^ 


THE  NIGHT  AFTER  THE  BATTLE. 


65 


The  misty  darkness  around  them  was  filled  witli  noise 
and  motion.  Men  who  had  become  separated  from  their 
regiments  wore  wandering  around  trying  to  find  them,  in 
the  bewildering  maze  of  men,  wagons,  and  animals.  Of- 
ficers were  calling  aloud  the  names  of  regiments  to  bring 
together  stragglers.  xA.ids  were  rushing  around  to  find 
Generals  and  Colonels  to  give  and  receive  orders  and  in- 
structions. Piegiments  and  batteries  were  marching 
hither  and  yon  to  get  into  position  and  complete  the  for- 
mation of  the  line  for  tlie  morrow's  battle.  The  200th  Ind., 
which  had  fallen  back  in  good  order  with  its  brigade, 
was  well  togetherj  and  made  an  island  around  which  a 
restless  sea  of  humanity  flowed  and  eddied.  Cheerless 
as  was  its  bivouac  in  the  cold  mud,  yet  it  was  infinitely 
preferable  to  being  lost  in  the  inextricable  confusion  that 
reigned  over  those  cotlonlields  on  that  sorrowful  night  of 
Dec.  31,  iSG2. 

"I'm  not  goin'  to  freeze  to  death,"  said  Si,  starting  up, 
at  last.  "I'm  c'oin'z  to  look  around  and  see  if  I  can't  find 
something  to  make  us  more  comfortable.  Shorty,  hold 
on  to  that  hole  in  the  ground.  It's  all  that  we've  got  left 
in  the  world,  and  if  we  lose  that  I  don't  know  what'll  be- 
come of  us. 

"Better  stay  here,  and  not  go  wanderin'  off  into  that 
mob,"  remonstrated  Shorty."  You'll  git  lost  entirely, 
and  never  find  your  way  back." 

"ril  not  get  lost,"  responded  Si.    "I've  got  the  lay 
the  ground  in  my  mind.    If  1  did,"  he  continued  proudly, 
"it'd  be  easy  to  find  you  agia.    Everybody  knows  where 
the  200th  Ind.  is." 

He  went  only  a  little  ways,  and  carefully,  at  first.  Ho 
was  rewarded  by  kicking  against  an  object  which  upon 
examination  proved  to  be  a  well-filled  knapsack,  which 
someone  had  fiung  away  in  his  hurry.  He  carried  itba<"k, 
rejoicincf,  to  Sliorfy. 

"  2  0 


66  SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 

"Finders  is  keepers,"  said  Shorty,  unbuckling  tlie 
knapsack.  "We'll  just  call  this  fair  exchange  for  what 
we've  throwed  away  in  to-day's  hustle.    Let's  open  her 


FINDING  A  GOOD  THING. 


r  "Some  new  recruit's,"  said  Si,  as  they  exainined  the 
inside.  "Looks  like  the'  one  I  packed  ffohi  Lijianny. 
"VYiiat's  this?  I  declare  if  it  aiiit  a  p>iif  o'  new  shoes,  and 


THE  NIGHT  AFTER  THE  BATTLE. 


67 


about  my  size;  and  some  socks.  I  tell  you,  Shorty,  I'm 
in  luck.'' 

He  pulled  the  muddy  socks  off  his  shoeless  foot,  and 
drew  on  one  of  the  Avarm,  homemade  affairs,  and  then 
the  shoe.  Both  fitted  avcII.  lie  put  on  the  other  sock 
and  shoe,  and  life  at  once  seemed  brighter. 

'^Shorty,"  said  ho,  "I  shouldn't  wonder  if  I  could  find  a 
blanket  and  aii  overcoat.  You  keep  on  holding  that  hole 
down,  and  I'll  go  out  agin.  I  won't  be  gone  long,  for  I'm 
dead  tired.  Just  as  soon  as  I  find  an  overcoat  or  a  blanket 
to  put  between  us  and  the  mud,  I'll  come  back  and  we'll 
lay  down.    Every  joint  in  me  aches." 

He  started  off  less  carefully  this  time.  His  new  shoes 
made  him  feel  more  like  walking.  He  was  some  distance 
from  the  regiment  before  he  knew  it.  He  found  an  over- 
coat. It  had  been  trampled  into  the  mud  by  thousands 
of  passing  feet,  but  still  it  was  an  overcoat,  and  it  was 
not  a  time  to  be  too  nice  about  the  condition  of  a  gar- 
ment. Presently  he  found  a  blanket  in  similar  condi- 
tion. He  pulled  on  the  overcoat,  and  threw  the  blanket 
over  his  shoulders.  He  felt  warmer,  but  they  were  very 
heavy.  Still,  he  thought  he  would  go  on  a  little  ways 
further,  and  perhaps  he  would  find  another  overcoat  anci 
blanket,  which  Avould  fix  out  both  him  and  his  partnei. 

All  this  time  men  were  sweeping  by  him  in  compan- 
ies, regiments  and  squads,  batteries  were  moving  in  all 
directions,  and  mounted  officers  were  making  their  way 
to  and  fro.  Filling  up  the  spaces  between  these  were 
hundreds  of  men,  single  and  in  small  groups,  wandering 
about  in  search  of  their  regiments,  and  inquiring  of  every- 
one who  would  stop  to  listen  to  them  as  to  the  Avherc- 
abouts  of  regiments,  brigades  and  divisions.  Xo  one 
could  give  any  satisfactory  information.  Organizations 
which  had  formed  a  line  two  miles  long  in  the  morning 
had  been  driven  back,  frequently  in  tumult  ar.d  dis- 


68 


m   KLEGG-  AND  SHOETY. 


order,  for  miles  tlirougli  the  thickets  and  woods.  Frag- 
mentary organizations  had  been  rallied  from  time  to 
time.  A  fragment  of  a  regiment  would  rally  at  one  point 
with  fragments  of  other  regiments  and  make  a  stand, 
while  other  fragments  w^ould  rally  at  widely  separated 
places  and  renew  the  tight,  only  to  be  pushed  back  again 
toward  the  Nashville  Pike.  Regiments  and  brigades  that 
had  remained  nearly  intact  had  been  rapidly  shifted  from 
one  point  to  another,  as  they  were  needed,  until  the 
mind  could  not  follow  their  changes,  or  where  nightfall 
had  found  them,  or  whither  they  had  been  shifted  to 
form  the  new  line. 

At  last  Si  succeeded  in  picking  up  another  overcoat 
and  blanket  out  of  the  mud,  and  started  to  go  back  to 
the  regiment. 

But  where  was  the  regiment?  He  had  long  since  lost 
fciTI  track  of  its  direction.  He  had  been  so  intent  upon 
studying  the  ground  for  thrown-away  clothing  that  he 
had  not  noticed  the  course  he  had  taken. 

It  suddenly  dawned  on  him  that  he  was  but  one  drop 
171  that  great  ocean  of  35,000  men,  surging  around  on  the 
square  miles  lying  between  the  Nashville  Pike  and  Stone 
Hiver.  He  looked  about,  but  could  see  nothing  to  guide 
him.  His  eyes  rested  everywhere  on  dark  masses  of 
moving  men.  Those  immediately  around  him  were  in- 
quiring weariedly  for  their  own  regiments;  they  had  no 
patience  to  answer  inquiries  as  to  his  own.  Discour- 
aged, he  determined  to  walk  as  straight  ahead  as  pos- 
sible in  the  direction  which  he  had  come,  and  see  where 
that  would  bring  him.  He  was  so  tired  that  he  could 
gcarceiy  drag  one  foot  after  another,  but  he  plodded  on. 
At  length  he  drew  out  of  the  throng  a  Httle,  and  saw  that 
lie  was  approaching  the  banks  of  a  large  stream.  This 
disheartened  him,  for  they  had  not  been  within  miles  of 
6 tone  Ilivei  duxing  the  day.    He  saw  a  group  of  men 


IHE  NIGHT  AFTEH  THE  BATTLE. 


69 


huddlevl  around  a  larger  fire  than  had  been  permitted 
near  ths:-  front.  This^  too,  was  discouraging,  for  it  showed 
that  he  had  been  forging  toward  the  rear.  But  he  wen-^ 
up  to  the  group  and  inquired: 

'''Do  any  o'  you  know  where  the  200th  Ind.  is?- 

The  men  had  become  wearied  out  answering  similar 
questions,  and  were  as  cross  as  soldiers  get  to  be  tinder 
similar  circumstances. 

"The  200th  Ind./'  snapped  one;  "better  go  back  to  tha 
rear-guard  and  inquire.  The  straggler-ketchers  've  got 
'em.'''  „    "^"^^  ^ 

"Xo,"  said  another;  "'thev  skipped  out  before  the  fear- 
guard  was  formed,  and  were  all  drowned  trying  to  swim 
the  Cumberland." 

"They  say  the  Colonel  went  on  foot,"  said  a  third,  "and 
was  the  first  man  in  the  regiment  to  reach  Nashville* 
Made  the  best  long-distance  run  on  record." 

"'You  infernal  liars,"  roared  Si;  "'if  I  wasn't  so  tired  I'd 
lick  the  whole  caboodle  of  you.  But  I'll  say  this:  Any 
man  who  says  that  the  200th  Ind.  run,  or  that  our  brave 
Colonel  run,  or  that  any  man  in  it  run,  is  a  low-down, 
measly  liar,  and  hain't  a  grain  o'  truth  in  him,  and  he 
daresn't  take  it  up." 

It  was  a  comprehensive  challenge,  that  would  have 
met  with  instantaneous  response  at  any  other  time,  but 
now  the  men  were  too  exhausted  for  such  vanities  as 
fisticuffs. 

"'0,  go  off  and  find  your  rattled,  lousy  Hoosi^zs^"  th^y 
shouted  in  chorus.  "'Go  talk  to  the  Provost-Marshal 
about  'em.  He's  got  the  most  of  'em.  The  rest  are  break- 
ing for  the  Y^abash  as  fast  as  their  legs  can  carry  them' 
Don't  be  bothering  us  about  that  corn-cracking,  agery 
crowd."  * 

"YTiere'd  you  leave  your  regiment,  you  chuckle-headed 
straggler?^ 


70  SI   KLEGG   ANB  SHORTY. 

"You  were  SO  rattled  you  couldn't  tell  wliicli  way  tlicy 
went." 

**vYhero's  your  gun?'* 


'*Tv  here's  your  cartridge-box  ana  Ua versa ck?" 
** Where's  your  cap?" 

'•'You  were  so  scared  you'd  a'  throw cd  away  your  neaa 
if  it'd  been  loose!" 
"Clear  out  from  KerC;  you  dead-beat." 


THE  NIGHT  AFTER  THE  BATTLE. 


71 


Si  was  too  sick  at  heart  to  more  than  resoI\'e  that  he 
would  remember  each  one  of  them,  and  pay  them  oft  at 
some  more  convenient  time.  He  turned  and  walked 
back  as  nearly  as  possible  in  the  direction  in  which  he 
had  come.  He  knew^  that  his  regiment  was  at  the  front, 
and  he  had  been  forging  toward  the  rear.  He  knew 
vaguely  that  the  front  was  somewhere  near  the  Nash- 
ville Pikcj  and  as  he  wearily  wound  around  and  through 
the  bewildering  masses,  he  inquired  only  for  the  Xash- 
^dlle  Pike. 

He  reached-HMiFike,  at  last,  just  as  he  was  sinking 
with  fatigue.  The  dreary  rain  had  set  in  again,  and  he 
had  determined  to  give  the  thing  up,  and  sit  down  and 
wait  for  morning..  He  saw  a  feeble  glimmer  of  light  at  a 
distance,  and  decided  to  make  one  more  effort  to  reach 
it,  and  inquire  ipr  iiis  regiment,    v ,  - 

"Partner,  have  you  any  idee  where  the  200th  Ind.  is?" 
he  said  meekly  to  the  man  who  was  crouching  over  the 
fire  in  the  hole;  ;V 

"Hello,  Si/'  said  Shorty.  "I  had  given  you  up  long 
ago.  Of  course,  you  went  off  and  got  lost  in  that  mob,  as 
I  told  you  youvrould.  Next  time  you'll  have  sense  enotigh 
to  mind  w^hat  I  say." 

"0,  Shorty,"  groaned  Si,  "don't  say  nothing.  I've 
nigh  walked  my  legs  offen  me.  I  think  I've  tramped 
over  every  foot  of  ground  betwixt  here  and  Overall's 
Crick.  But  I've  brought  back  two  overcoats  and  two 
blankets." 

"That's  bully,"  answered  Shorty,  much  mollified.  "Say, 
I've  got  an  idee.  D'you  see  that  white  thing  over  there? 
That's  a  wagon.  The  mules  've  been  taken  away,  and 
it's  been  standing  there  for  an  hour.  I've  seen  the 
Lieutenants  and  the  Orderly-Sergeant  sneak  back  there, 
and  I  know  what  they're  up  to.  They're  goin'  to  sleep  in 
the  wagon. _  Of  eouise^  they^'re  officers,  and  got  the  first 


72 


SI   KUlOG    AND  SnorwTT. 


pick.  Pjiii  we  kin  lay  down  under  il.,  and  get  out  of  tlio 
rain.  Besides^  it  looks  as  if  the  grcund  was  drier  up 
there  than  it  is  down  here." 

They  slipped  quietly  back  to  the  wagon,  and  were 
lucky  enough  to  find  a  little  hay  in  the  feed-box,  which 
they  could  lay  down  to  spread  tlieir  blaid^ets  upon. 
They  pulled  the  tad-gate  off  and  set  it  up  on  the  side 
from  which  the  rain  was  coming. 

"There,"  said  Shorty,  as  they  crawled  in.  "Si,  what'd 
you  do  vdthout  me?  Ain't  1  a  comfort  to  you  every  min- 
ute of  your  life?" 

*'you  certainly  are,  Shorty,"  said  Si.  as  he  fell  asleep. 


A  GLOOMY  NEW  YEAR'S  DAY. 


73 


CHAPTER  VIIL 

A  GLOOMY  NEW  YEAK'S  DAY  OX  TUE  BAXUS  OF  STONE  VdYEK 

Si  was  awakened  the  next  morning  b}'  the  rain  dashing 
down  squarely  on  his  upturned  face.   He  was  lying  on 


A  DISAGKEEABLE  AWAKENING  FOR  SHORT  T  AND  SL 

the  flat  of  his  back,  sleeping  the  sleep  of  the  utterly  out" 
worn,  and  he  got  the  full  force  of  the  shower.  ^ 


74 


«I   KLEGG   AND  SHOETt. 


''Plague  take  it,  Shorty,"  said  he,  kicking  his  snoring 
partner;  "you're  at  your  old  tricks  again— scrougin'  me 
out  o'  the  tent  while  I'm  asleep.  Why  can't  you  lay  still, 
like  a  Avliite  man?" 

"it's  you,  dcd-rot  you,"  grumbled  Shorty,  half-awaken- 
ing. "You're  at  your  old  trick  o'  kickin'  the  tent  down. 
You  need  a  10-acre  lot  to  sleep  in,  and  then  you'd  damage 
the  fence-corners." 

They  were  both  awake  by  this  time,  and  looked  around 
in  amazement. 

"We  went  to  sleep  nice  and  comfortable,  under  a  wagon 
last  night,"  said  Shorty,  slowly  recalling  the  circum- 
stances. "The  two  Lieutenants  and  the  Orderly  had  the 
upper  berth,  and  we  slept  on  the  ground-floor." 

"Yes,"  assented  Si;  "and  someone's  come  along,  hitch- 
ed mules  to  our  bedroom  and  snaked  it  off." 

"Just  the  vvay  in  the  condemned  army,"  grumbled 
Shorty,  his  ill-humor  asserting  itself  as  he  sat  up  and 
looked  out  over  the  rain-soaked  fields.  "Never  kin  git 
hold  of  a  good  thing  but  somebody  yanks  it  away.  S'pose 
they  thought  that  it  was  too  good  for  a  private  soldier, 
and  they  took  it  away  for  some  Major-General  to  sleep 
under." 

"Well,  I  wonder  what  we're  goin'  to  do  for  grub?"  said  Si, 
as  his  athletic  appetite  began  to  assert  itself.  "Our  own 
wagons,  that  we  had  such  a  time  guarding;  are  over 
there  in  th®  cedars,  and  the  rebels  are  filling  themselves 
^3p  with  the  stuff  that  we  were  so  good  to  bring  up  for 
them." 

*lt  makes  me  Jest  sizzle,"  said  Shorty,  "to  think  of  all 
we  went  through  to  git  them  condemned  wagons  up 
where  they'd  be  handiest  for  them." 

Si  walked  down  the  line  toward  where  the  Beglmental 
Headquarters  were  established  under  a  persimmon  tree, 
atd  presently  came  back,  saying  t 


A  GLOOMY  NEW  YEAR'S  DAY. 


75 


"Thoy  say  there's  mighty  small  chance  of  gettin'  any 
grub  to-day.  "Wheeler  burnt  throe  or  four  miles  of  our 
wagons  yesterday,  and 's  got  possession  of  the  road  to 
Nashville.  "We've  got  to  figlit  the  battle  out  on  empty 
stomachs,  and  drive  these  whelps  away  before  vre  kin 
get  a  square  meal." 

Jan.  1,  1.^60,  was  an  exceedingly  solemn,  unhappy  New 
Year's  Day  for  the  Union  soldiers  on  the  banks  of  Stone 
Paver.  Of  the  -11,000  who  had  gone  into  the  line  on  the 
evening  of  Dec.  oO,  nearly  0,000  had  been  killed  or  wounded 
and  about  2,000  were  prisoners.  The  whole  right  wing  of 
ihe  army  had  been  driven  back  several  miles,  to  the 
Nashville  Pike.  Cannon,  wagon-trains,  tents  and  sup- 
plies had  been  captured  by  the  enemy,  the  road  to  Nash- 
ville was  in  the  hands  of  the  rebel  cavalry,  which  had 
burned  miles  of  wagons,  and  the  faint-hearted  ones  mur- 
mured that  the  army  would  have  to  surrender  or  starve. 

There  was  not  ammunition  enough  to  fight  another 
battle.  The  rebel  army  had  suffered  as  heavily  in  killed 
and  wounded,  but  it  was  standing  on  its  own  ground, 
near  its  own  supplies,  and  had  in  addition  captured  great 
quantities  of  ours. 

The  mutual  slaughter  of  the  two  armies  had  been  in- 
conceivably awiul — inexpressibly  ghastly,  shuddering, 
sickening.  They  had  pounded  one  another  to  absoluie 
exhaustion,  and  all  that  suli-en,  lowering,  bky-weeping 
Winter's  day  they  lay  and  glared  at  one  another  like  two 
huge  lions  which  had  fanged  and  torn  each  other  unti^ 
their  strength  had  been  entirely  expended,  and  breath 
and  strength  were  gone.  Each  was  too  spent  to  strike 
another  blow,  but  each  too  savage]\^  resolute  to  think  oi 
retreating. 

All  the  dogged  stubbornness  of  his  race  was  now  at 
fever  point  in  Si's  A^eins.  Those  old  pioneers  and  farmers 
of  the  Wabash  from  whom  he  sprang  were  not  particularly 


76 


SI  "kleM  a:»i>  shoety. 


handsome  to  look  at,  they  were  not  glib  talk'^-s,  iior  well 
educated.  But  they  had  a  way  of  thinking  out — rather 
slowly  and  awkardly  it  might  be— just  what  they  ought 
to  do,  and  then  doing  it  or  dying  in  the  effort — which 
made  it  very  disastrous  for  whoever  stood  in  their  way. 
Those  who  knew  them  best  much  preferred  to  be  along 
with  them  rather  than  against  them  when  they  set  their 
square-cornered  heads  upon  accomplishing  some  object. 

Si  might  be  wet,  hungry,  and  the  morass  of  mud  in 
which  the  army  was  wallowing  uncomfortable  and  dis- 
couraging to  the  last  degree,  but  there  was  not  the  slight- 
est thought  in  his  mind  of  giving  up  the  fight  as  long  as 
there  was  a  rebel  in  sight.  He  and  Shorty  were  not  hurt 
yet,  and  until  they  were,  the  army  was  still  in  good 
fighting  trim  ^ 

^  The  line  of  the  200th  Ind.  was  mournfully  shorter  than 
it  was  two  days  before,  but  there  were  still  several 
hundred  boys  of  Si'g  stamp  gathered  resolutely  around 
its  flag,  the  game  little  Colonel's  voice  rang  out  as 
sharply  as  ever,  and  the  way  the  boys  picked  up  their 
guns  and  got  into  line  whenever  a  sputter  of  firing  broke 
out  anywhere  must  have  been  very  discouraging  to  Gen. 
Bragg  and  his  officejs,  who  were  anxiously  watching  the 
Union  lines  through  their  glasses  for  signs  of  demoraliza- 
tion and  retreat* 

**We  licked  'em  yesterday,  every  time  they  come  up 
squarely  in.front  o'  the  200th  Ind.,"  Si  said  to  Shorty  and 
those  who  staod  around  gazing  anxiously  on  the  masses 
of  brown  men  on  the  other  side  of  the  field.  "We  can  do 
ft  again,  every  time.  The  only  way  they  got  away  with 
us  was  by  sneakih'  around  through  the  cedars  and  takin' 
us  in  the  rear.  We're  out  in  the  open  ground  now,  an' 
they  c^n't  get  around  our  flanks."  And  he  looked  to  the 
extreme  right,  vv^here  every  knoll  was  crowned  with  a 
battery  of  frowning  guns. 


A  GLOOOT  NEW  YEAE'S  DAY 


77' 


"They  got^their  bellies  full  o'  fightin'  yesterday,"  added 
Shorty,  studying  tlie  array  judicially.    "They  hain't  none 

the  brashness  they  showed  yesterday  mornin',  when 
they  were  jumpin'  us  in  front,  right,  left  and  rear  at  the 
same  minute.  They're^^ry  backward -about  ci)min^  for- 
ward acrost  them  fields  for  us  to-day.  I  only  wish  they'd 
try  it  on." 

But  the  forenoon  wore  away  without  the  rebels  show- 
ing any  disposition  to  make  an  assault  across  the  muddy 
fields.  Si's  vigilant  appetite  took  advantage  of  the  quiet 
to  assert  its  claims  imperiously. 

"Shorty,"  said  he,  "there  must  be  something  to  eat 
somewhere  around  here.    I'm  goin'  to  look  for  it." 

"You'll  have  just  about  as  much  chance  of  fijidin'  it," 
said  Shorty  dolefully,  "among  that  mob  o'  famished 
Suckers  as  you  would  o'  findin'  a  straw-stack  in  the  in- 
fernal regions.  But  I'll  go  'long  with  yovL  We  can't  lose 
'  the  regiment  in  the  day  time." 

"By  the  way,  Shorty,"  said  Si,  happening  to  glance  at 
the  sleeves  of  the  overcoats  which  he  had  picked  up,  "we 
both  seem  to  be  Sergeants." 

"That's  so,"  assented  Shorty.  '*'Both  these  are  Ser- 
geant's overcoats.  Well,  we'll  take  our  guns  along,  ^d 
play  that  we  are  on  duty.  It  may  help  us  out  some- 
Vfhere." 

Things  looked  so  quiet  in  front  that  the  Captain  gava 
them  permission,  and  off  they  started*  It  seemed  a  hope- 
less quest.  Everywhere  men  were  ravenous  for  food. 
They  found  one  squad  toasting  on  their  rammers  the 
pieces  of  a  luckless  rabbit  they  had  cornered  in  a  patch 
of  briers.  Another  was  digging  away  at  a  hole  that 
they  alleged  contained  a  woodchuck.  A  third  was  paich- 
'ing  some  corn  found  in  a  thrown-away  feed  box,  and 
congratulating  themselves  upon  the  lucky  fijid. 

Finally  they  came  out  u^on  the  banks  of  Stone  Rivei 


78 


SI    KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


at  the  place  to  ^^llicl3  Si  had  ^yancIercd  during  the  night. 
Si  recognized  it  at  once,  and  also  the  voices  that  came 
from  behind  a  little  thicket  of  paw-paws  as  those  of  the 
men  with  whom  he  had  had  the  squabble. 

Si  motioned  to  Shorty  to  stop  and  keep  silent,  while  he 
stepped  tip  closer,  parted  the  Inishcs  a  little,  looked 
through,  and  listened. 

Two  men  were  standing  by  a  fire,  which  was  con- 
cealed from  the  army  by  the  paw-paws.  Four  others  had 
just  come  up,  carrying  rolled  in  a  blanket  what  seemed  to 
be  a  dead  body.  They  flung  it  down  by  the  fire,  yvith  ex- 
clamations of  relief,  and  unrolled  it.  It  was  the  carcass 
of  a  pig  so  recently  killed  that  it  was  still  blooding. 

"Hello,"  exclaimed  the  others  joyfully;  "where  did  you 
get  that?'* 

"Why,--  exclaimed  one  of  the  others,  "vro  wore  f  '"'■'g 
around  dow^n  there  under  the  bank,  and  vre  Ir  |  pcr.cd  to 
spy  a  nigger  cabin  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  hid  in 
among  the  willers,  where  nobody  could  see  it.  We 
thought  there  might  be  something  over  there,  so  we 
waded  across.  There  wasn't  anything  to  speak  of  in  the 
cabin,  but  we  found  this  pig  in  the  pen.  Jim  bayoneted 
it,  and  then  we  wrapped  it  up  in  our  blanket,  as  if  we 
wuz  taking  a  boy  back  to  the  Surgeon's,  and  fetched  it 
along.  We  couldn't  've  got  a  hundred  yards  through 
that  crowd  if  they'd  dreamed  what  we  had.  Jerusalem, 
but  it  was  heavy,  though.  We  thought  that  pig  weighed  a 
thousand  pounds  before  we  got  here." 

"Bully  boys,^'  said  the  others  gleefully.  "We'll  have 
enough  to  eat,  no  matter  how  many  wagons  the  rebels 
hvrn.  I  always  enjoyed  a  dinner  of  fresh  pork  more  on 
New  Year's  Day  than  any  other  time." 

Si  turned  and  gave  Shorty  a  wink  that  conveyed  more 
to  ihM  observant  individual  than  a  long  telegram  would 
haT€  iono.    He  y>  inked  back  approvingly,  brought  up  his 


A  GLOOMY  NEW  YEAR'S  DAY^  79 

gim  to  a  severely  regulation  "carry  arms,"  and  he  and  Si 
stepped  briskly  through  the  brush  to  the  startled  squad. 

"Here,"  said  Si,  with  official  severity;  "you  infernal 
stragglers,  what  regiments  do  you  belong  to?  Sneaking 
out  here,  are  you,  and  stealin'  hogs  instead  of  being  ^Yith 
your  companies.  Wrap  that  pig  up  again,  pick  it  up,  and 
come  along  vvith  us  to  Headquarters." 

For  a  minute  it  looked  as  if  the  men  would  fight.  But 
Si  had  guessed  rightly  ;  they  were  stragglers,  and  had  the 
cowardice  of  guilty  consciences.  They  saw  the  chev- 
rons on  Si's  arms,  and  his  positive,  commanding  air 
finished  them.  They  groaned,  wrapped  up  the  pig  again, 
and  Si  mercifully  made  the  tw^o  who  had  waited  by  the 
fire  carry  the  heaviest  part. 

Si  started  them  back  toward  the  200th  Ind.,  and  he  and 
Shorty  walked  along  close  to  them,  maintaining  a  proper 
provost-guard-like  severity  of  countenance  and  carriage. 

The  men  began 'to  try  to  beg  off,  and  make  advances 
on  the  basis  of  sharing  the  pork.  But  Si  and  Shorty's 
official  integrity  was  incorruptible. 

"Shut  up  and  go  on,"  they  would  reply  to  every  proposi- 
tion. "We  ain't  that  kind  of  soldiers.  Our  duty's  to 
take  you  to  Headquarters,  and  to  Headquarters  you  are 
going." 

They  threaded  through  the  crowds  for  some  time^  and 
as  they  were  at  last  nearing  the  regiment  a  battery  of 
artillery  went  by  at  as  near  a  txoi  as  it  could  get  out  of 
the  weary  horses  in  that  deep  mire.  The  squad  took  ad- 
vantage of  the  confusion  to  drog  their  burden  and  scurry 
out  of  sight  in  the  throng. 

"All  right;  let  'em  go,"  grinned  Si.    "I  wuz  jest  won- 
derin'  how  we'd  get  rid  o'  'em.    I'd  thought  o'  takin' 
them  into  the  regiment  and  then  givin'  them  a  chunk  g' 
their  pork,  but  then  I'd  get  mad  at  the  way  they  talked 
^  about  the  200th  Ind.  last  night,  and  want  to  stog  and  lick 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


'em.  It's  better  as  it  is.  We  need  all  that  pig  for  tL> 
boys." 

Si  and  Shorty  picked  up  the  bundle  and  carried  i'. 
to  the  regiment.    When  they  unrolled  it  the  boys  gav:i^ 
such  lusty  cheers  that  the  rebels  beyond  the  field  rushed 
to  arms,  expecting  a  charge,  and  one  of  our  impulsi?:i> 
cannoneers  let  fly  a  shell  at  them. 

Si  and  Shorty  cut  off  one  ham  for  themselves  and  thc-i' 
particular  cronies,  carried  the  other  ham,  with  their  com. 
pliments,  to  the  Colonel,  and  let  the  rest  be  divided  up 
►       am.ong  the  regiment. 

One  of  their  chums  was  lucky  enough  to  have  saved 
tin  box  of  salt,  and  after  they  had  toasted  and  devoured 
large  slices  of  the  fresh  ham  they  began  to  feel  like  new 
men,  and  be  anxious  for  something  farther  to  happen. 

But  the  gloomy,  anxious  day  dragged  its  slow^  length 
along  with  nothing  more  momentous  than  fitful  bursts 
of  bickering,  spiteful  firing,  breaking  out  from  time  to 
time  on  different  parts  of  the  long  line,  where  the  men's 
nerves  got  wrought  up  to  the  point  where  they  had  to  do 
something  to  get  the  relief  of  action. 

Away  out  in  front  of  the  regiment  ran  a  little  creek, 
skirting  the  hill  on  w^hich  the  rebels  were  massed.  In 
the  field  betvreen  the  hill  and  the  creek  was  one  of  our 
wagons,  which  had  mired  there  and  been  abandoned  by 
the  driver  in  the  stampede  of  the  day  before.  It  seemed 
out  of  easy  rifle-shot  of  the  rebels  on  the  hill. 

Si  had  been  watching  it  for  some  time.  At  length  ho 
Bhia: 

"Shorty,  I  believe  that  wagoii's  loaded  with  hardtack." 

"It's  eertainly  a  Commissary  wagon,"  said  Shorty,  after 
Etud^^hjg  it  a  little 

"Yes,  I'm  sure  that  it's  one  o'  them  wagons  we  was 
guardin',  and  I  recollect  it  was  loaded  with  hardtack." 


A  GLOOMY  NEW  YEAR'S  DAY.  81 

-i 

The  mere  mention  of  the  much-abused  crackers  made 
both  their  mouths  water.  ^ 

"Seems  to  me  I  recognize  the  wagon,  too,"  said  iShorty, 

"Shorty,  it'd  be  a  great  thing  if  we  could  sneak  along 
up  the  creek,  behind  them  bushes,  until  w&  come  op- 
posite the  wagon,  then  make  a  rush  acrost  the  field, 
snatch  up  a  box  o'  hardtack  apiece,  and  then  run  back. 
We'd  get  enough  to  give  each  o'  the  boys  a  cracker  apiece. 
The  wagon 'd  shelter  us  comin*  and  goin',  and  we  would- 
n't get  a  shot.'' 

"Jt  might  be,"  said  Shorty,  v^ith  visions  of  distributing 
hardtack  to  the  hungry  boys  warping  his  judgment. 
"The  fellers  right  back  o'  the  wagon  couldn't  shoot  to 
any  advantage,  and  them  to  the  right  and  left  are  too  fur 
off.    If  you  say  so,  it's  a  go." 

[  "If  the  boys  could  only  have  one  hardtack  apiece," 
said  Si,  as  his  last  hesitation  vanished,  "they'd  feel  ever 
so  much  better,  and  be  in  so  much  better  shape  for  a 
light.    Come  on,  let's  try  it." 

'  The  rest  overheard  their  plan,  and  began  to  watch 
them  with  eager  interest.  They  made  a  circle  to  the 
right,  got  into  the  cover  of  the  brush  of  the  creek,  and 
began  rwaking  their  way  slowly  and  carefully  up  to  a 
point  opposite  the  wagon.  They  reached  this  without 
attracting  notice,  parted  the  bushes  in  front  of  them  care- 
fully, and  took  a  good  survey  of  the  wagon  and  the  hill 

f  The  wagon  was  a  great  deal  nearer  the  hill  than  Lad 
appeared  to  be  the  case  from  where  the  regiment  lay, 
and  even  where  they  stood  they  were  in  very  easy  ran^e 
of  the  rebels  on  the  hill.  But  the  latter  were  uiierly  un- 
suspicious of  them.  They  were  crouching  down  around 
fires,  with  their  guns  stacked,  and  the  cannoneers  of  a 
couple  of  guns  were  at  some  distance  from  theii  pieced^ 


82  SI   KLEGG    AND  SHOETY. 

under  a  brugli  shelter,  before  which  a  fire  smoldered  in 
the  rain. 

"It's  awful  short  range/'  said  Si  dubiously.  "If  they 
were  lopkin'  theyW  tear  us  and  the  wagon  all  to  pieces. 
But  our  boys  is  a-watchin'  us,  and  I  don't  want  to  go 
back  without  a  shy  at  it.  Them  fellers  seem  so  busy 
tryin'  to  keep  warm  that  we  may  get  there  without  their 
noticin'  us*" 

"I  never  w^anted  hardtack  so  much  in  my  life  as  I  do 
this  minute,"  said  Shorty.  "I  don't  want  to  live  forever, 
anyway.    Let's  chance  it." 

They  pulled  off  their  overcoats,  carefully  tied  up  their 
shoes,  shifted  around  so  as  to  be  completely  behind  the 
wagon,  and  then  started  on  a  rush  through  the  mud. 

For  several  hundred  steps  nothing  happened,  and  they 
began  to  believe  that  they  w^ouid  reach  the  wagon  un- 
noticed. Then  a  few  shots  sang  over  their  heads,  fol- 
lowed a  min^te  later  by  a  storm  of  bullets  that  struck  in 
the  mnd  and  against  the  wagon.  But  they  reached  the 
wagon,  and  sat  dow^n,  exhausted,  on  the  tongue,  sidling 
up  close  to  the  bed  to  protect  them  from  the  bullets. 

Si  recovered  his  breath  first,  caught  hold  of  the  front 
board  and  raised  himself  up,  saw  the  boxes  of  coveted 
hardtack,  and  was  just  putting  his  hand  on  one  of  them 
whea.  a  shell  struck  the  rear  end  and  tore  the  canvas 
cover  off.  Si  sank  back  again  beside  Shorty,  when  an- 
other shell  burst  under  the  wagon,  and  filled  the  air  with 
pieces  of  wheels,  bed,  cracker-boxes  and  hardtack. 

"I  don't  want  no  hardtack:  I  want  to  find  the  bank  o' 
that  .^crick,"  yelled  Shorty,  starting  back  on  the  jump, 
with  Si  just  six  inches  behind. 

The  bullets  spattered  in  the  mud  all  around  them  as 
they  ran,  but  they  reached  the  creek  bank  without  be- 
ing struck.  They  were  in  such  a  hurry  that  they  did  not 
stop  to  jump,  but  fell  headlong  into  the  water. 


GLOOMY  NEV7  YEAR'S  DAY 


83 


"Tlicm  hardtack  wuz  spiled,  anyway/'  said  Shorty,  as 
they  fished  themselves  out,  found  their  overcoats,  and 
made  their  way  back  to  the  regiment. 

They  received  the  congratulations  of  their  comrades 
on  their  escape,  and  someone  fished  out  all  the  consola- 
tion that  the  regiment  could  offer — a  couple  of  brierwood 
pipes  filled  with  fragrant  kinnikinnick.  They  sat  down, 
smoked  these,  and  tried  to  forget  their  troubles. 

The  cheerless  night  drew  on.  No  fires  were  allowed, 
and  the  men  huddled  together  on  the  wet  ground,  to  get 
what  comfort  they  could  from  the  w^armth  of  each  other^s 
bodies. 

The  temper  of  the  rebels  became  nastier  as  the  day 
wore  away,  and  under  the  cover  of  the  darkness  they 
pushed  out  here  and  there  and  opened  worrying  fires  on 
the  Union  line.  Suddenly  a  battery  opened  up  on  the 
200tli  Ind.  from  a  bare  knoll  in  front.  The  rebels  had 
evidently  cal-culated  the  range  during  daylight,  and  the 
shells  struck  aroujid  them  in  the  most  annoying  way. 
They  threw  up  showers  of  mud,  scattered  the  groups,  and 
kept  everybody  nervous  and  alarmed.  The  regiment 
stood  this  for  some  time,  when  an  idea  occurred  to  Si  and 
Shorty.    They  went  up  to  the  Colonel  and  explained: 

"Colonel,  we've  studied  the  ground  out  there  purty 
carefully,  and  we  know  that  the  knoll  where  that 
battery  is  is  in  close  range  o'  that  crick  where  we  went 
up  this  afternoon.  If  you^ll  let  a  few  of  us  go  out  there 
we  kin  stop  them  cannoneers  mighty  soon." 

"Sure  of  that?"  said  the  Colonel  alertly. 

"Dead  sure." 

"Very  well,  then,"  said  the  Colonel  promptly.  "I've 
been  thinking  of  the  same  thing.  I'll  take  the  whole 
regiment  out.  Put  yourselves  at  the  head,  and  lead  the 
way." 

The  regiment  was  only  too  eager  for  the  movemen.1. 


84 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


It  marclied  rapidly  after  Si  and  Shorty  up  tlie  creek  bed, 
and  in  a  very  few  minutes  found  itself  on  tlie  flank  of  the 
obnoxious  battery,  which  was  still  banging  away  into 
the  line  which  the  200th  Tnd.  had  occupied.  It  was 
scarcely  200  yards  away,  and  the  men's  hearts  burned 
with  a  fierce  joy  at  the  prospect  of  vengeance.  With 
whispered  orders  the  Colonel  lined  up  the  regiment  care- 
fully on  the  bank,  and  waited  until  the  battery  should 
fire  again,  to  make  sure  of  the  aim.  Every  man  cocked 
his  gun,  took  good  aim,  and  waited  for  the  order.  They 
could  distinctly  hear  the  orders  of  the  battery  officers, 
directing  the  shelling,  Three  cannon  were  fired  at  once, 
and  as  their  fierce  i^'ghts  flashed  out,  the  Colonel  gave 
the  order  to  fire.  A  terrible  simoon  of  death  from  the 
rifles  of  the  200th  Ind.  struck  down  everything  in  and 
around  the  battery 

"That  dog's  cured  o'  suckin'  aigs,"  said  Shorty,  as  the 
Colonel  ordered  the  regiment  to  about  face  and  march 
back. 

The  200th  Ind.  heard  no  more  from  that  battery^  that 
liight. 


VICTORY  FOR  THE  ARLIY  OF  THE  CUMBERLAND.  85 


CHAPTER  1X4 

VICTORT  AT  LAST  FOR  THE  ARI^IY  OF  THE  CmiBERLAND. 

On  their  way  back  from  "settling  the  battery,"  Si  and 
Shorty  each  broke  off  a  big  armful  of  cedar  branches. 
These  they  spread  down  on  the  ground  when  the  regi- 
ment resumed  its  place  in  the  line-of-battle,  and  lay 
down  on  them  to  spend  the  rest  of  the  night  as  comfort- 
ably as  possible.  The  fire  with  which  they  had  roasted 
the  pig,  and  from  which  they  had  drawn  much  comfort 
during  the  day,  had  had  to  be  extinguished  when  dark- 
ness came  on.  But  it  had  dried  out  and  warmed  the 
ground  for  a  considerable  space  around,  and  on  this  ihey 
made  their  bed. 

"We  seem  to  play  in  fair  luck  right  along.  Shorty," 
said  the  hopeful  Si,  as  they  curled  up  on  the  boughs. 
"Most  of  the  boys  'ye  to  lay  down  in  a  foot  of  mud.^ 

"Don't  get  to  crowin'  too  loud,"  grumbled  Shorty.  "If 
they  find  out  what  a  good  thing  we  have,  some  Jigadier- 
Brindle'U  snatch  it  away  for  himself."  But  Si  was  fast 
asleep  before  Shorty  finished  speaking. 

Sometime  before  midnight  the  Orderly- Sergeant  ctime 
around,  and  after  vigorous  kicking  and  shaking,  suc- 
ceeded in  waking  them. 

"Get  up,"  he  said,  "and  draw  some  rations.  The 
wagons've  got  in  from  Xashyille." 

^  *'My  gracious  I"  said  Si,  as  soon  as  he  was  wide  enougn 
awake  to  understand  the  Orderly-Sergeant's  words,  "'is 
it  possible  that  we're  going  to  have  plenty  of  hardtack 
and  pork  and  coffee  again?  Seeu2s  "^o  me  a  hundred 
years  since  we  d"rew  a  full  ration." 
Ee  and  Shorty  jumped  up  and  ran  over  to  where  the 


86 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


Quartermaster-Sergeant  and  his  assistants  were  dealing 
out  a  handful  of  crackers  and  a  piece  of  pork  to  each  man 
as  he  came  up. 

"Mebbe  1  oughtn^t  to  say  it,"  said  Si,  as  he  munched 
away  J  taking  a  bite  first  off  the  crackers  in  his  right  and 
then  off  the  meat  in  his  left,  "but  nothing  that  ever 
mother  baked  tasted  quite  as  good  as  this." 

"This  dees  seem  to  be  a  specially  good  lot,"  assented 
Shorty.  "Probably  a  wagon  load  that  they  intended  for 
the  officers  and  give  us  by  mistake.  Better  eat  it  all  up 
before  they  find  it  out.'* 

The  morning  of  Jan.  2,  1863,  dawned  bleak  and  chill, 
but  this  at  least  brought  the  great  comfort  that  the  dreary 
rain  was  at  last  over.  The  sharp  air  was  bracing,  and 
put  new  life  and  hope  into  the  hearts  of  the  Union  sol- 
diers. Many  wagons  had  been  gotten  up  during  the 
night,  bringing  food  and  ammunition  for  all.  Soon  after 
daylight  cheerful  fires  were  blazing  everywhere,  and  the 
morning  air  was  laden  with  the  appetizing  fragrance  of 
boiling  coffee  and  broiling  meat.  The  sun  began  to  rise 
over  Murfreesboro*  and  the  rebel  camps,  giving  promise 
of  a  bright,  invigorating  day. 

"I  hope  this  thing'll  be  brought  to  a  focus  to-day,  and 
Wie  question  settled  as  to  who  shall  occupy  this  ])iece  of 
real  estate,"  said  Shorty,  as  he  and  Si  finished  a  gener- 
ous breakfast,  filled  their  boxes  and  pockets  wilh  car- 
tridges, and  began  knocking  the  dried  mud  theii 
clothes  and  rubbing  the  rust  from  their  guns.  "1  want 
them  gents  in  brown  clothes  to  clear  out  and  leave.  It 
frets  me  to  see  them  hangin'  'round.  They're  bad  npi<di- 
bors."  *  ' 

"I  hope,",  said  Si,  carefully  picking  out  the  tube  of  Ids 
gun  viith  a  pin,  "we  won't  put  in  tc-dciy  as  we  did  yestcf 


VICTORY  FOR  THE  AROT  OF  THE  CUMBERLAND. 


87 


'"'ay— layin'  'round  making  faces  an^  shakin*  our  fists  at 
i>iie  another.    Let's  have  the  thing  out  at  once." 

Evidently  the  rebels  were  of  the  same  frame  of  mmd. 
They  saluted  the  dawn  with  a  noisy  fusillade  that  ran 
along  the  miles  of  winding  line.  It  was  spiteful,  crash- 
ing and  persistent,  but  as  the  Union  lines  lay  beyond 
good  musket  range  and  the  rebels  showed  no  disposition 
to  advance  across  the  fields  and  come  to  close  quarters, 
the  noise  was  quite  out  of  proportion  to  the  harm  done. 

Then  two  rebel  batteries  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river  opened  up  a  terrific  fire  upon  one  of  our  batteries, 
and  the  air  seemed  torn  to  shreds  by  the  storm  of  howl- 
ing missiles. 

The  200th  Ind.  was  too  far  away  to  have  more  than  a 
spectacular  interest  in  this  tempestuous  episode.  They 
stood  around  their  gun-stacks  and  watched  and  listened 
while  the  hours  passed  in  ineffective  noise,  and  won- 
dered vrhen  the  crisis  of  action  was  going  to  arrive.  I 

"They  seem  to  have  lost  their  appetite  for  close  ac- 
quaintance with  the  200th  Ind.,"  remarked  Shorty.  "They 
found  that  Jordan  was  a  hard  road  to  travel  whenever 
they  came  across  the  fields  at  us,  and  are  tryin'  to  scare 
us  out  by  makin'  a  racket.  I  think  we  kin  stand  it  as 
long  as  their  powder  kin.  But  I'm  gittin'  hungry  agiu. 
Let's  have  somethin'  to  eat." 

"Good  gracious,  it  is  noon,"  answered  Si,  looking  up  at 
the  sun.    "I  believe  I  do  want  some  dinner." 

They  had  scarcely  finished  dinner-eating  wlie-j>  i^ie 
200th  Ind.  was  ordered  to  move  over  toward  Stone"  Idver. 
It  halted  on  a  little  rise  of  ground  on  the  bank,  which 
commanded  an  extensive  view  on  both  sides  of  the  river. 
There  was  a  portentous  flov,'  in  the  great,  dark-blue  sea 
of  men.  The  billows,  crested  with  shining  steel,  were 
rolling  eastward  toward  the  river. 

"Something's  goin'  to  happen;  meetin's  about  tc  -^^reak 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


Up;  schooPs  goin'  to  let  out,"  said  Shorty  eagerly.  "Isn't 
it  a  grand  sight." 

"G-racious  me!"  said  Si,  devouring  the  spectacle  with 
his  eyes.  "How  I  wish  that  father  and  mother  and  sister 
could  see  all  this.  It's  worth  going  through  a  great  deal 
to  see  this." 

It  AYas  by  far  the  most  imposing  spectacle  they  had 
yet  seen.  The  whole  Army  of  the  Cumberland  was 
crowded  into  the  narrow  space  betAveen  the  Nashyille 
Pike  and  Stone  River.  Its  compact  regiments,  brigades, 
and  divisions  showed  none  of  the  tearing  and  mangling 
they  had  endured,  but  stood  or  moved  in  well-dressed 
ranks  that  seemed  the  embodiment  of  mighty  purpose 
and  resistless  force. 

Around  its  grand  array,  a  half  mile  away,  lay  the 
somber,  portentous  line  of  brown-clad  men.  Beyond 
them  rose  the  steeples  and  roofs  of  the  sleepy  old  town  of 
Murfreesboro',  Avith  croAvds  of  men  and  Avomen  occupying 
every  point  of  vantage,  to  Avitness  the  rencAA'al  of  the 
aAvful  battle. 

It  .AA^as  noAv  long  past  noon.  The  bright  sun  had  long 
ago  scattered  the  chill  mists  of  the  morning,  and  radiated 
Avarmth  and  light  over  the  dun  landscape.  Even  the 
somber  cedars  lost  some  of  the  funereal  gloom  they  Avoro 
Avhen  the  skies  Avere  loAA  cring. 

-  "There  go  tAA^o  brigades  across  the  river,"  said  Si. 
"We're  gcin'  to  try  to  turn  their  right." 

They  saAv  a  long  ]ine  of  men  file  doAvn  the  riA-er  bank, 
cress,  and  go  into  line  on  the  high  ground  beyond.  Their 
appearance  seemed  to  stir  the  broAvn  mass  lying  on  the 
bights  a  mile  in  front  of  them  to  aciion.  The  rebels  be- 
gan SAvarming  out  of  their  Avorks  and  moving  forAvard  into 
ihe  AA^oods. 

Presently  a  thin  line  of  men  in  butternut-colored 
clothes  ran  forAvard  to  a  fence  in  front,  and  began  throAv- 


VICTORY  FOR  THE  ARMY  OF  THE  CUMBEREAND. 


89 


ing  it  down.  Behind  them  came  three  long/ brown  lines, 
extending  from  near  the  river  to  t-he  woods  far  away  to 
the  left.  Batteries  galloped  in  the  intervals  to  knolls, 
on  which  they  unlimbcred  and  opened  fire. 

It  was  an  overpoweiing  mass  of  men  for  the  two  little 
brigades  to  resist.  Si's  heart  almost  stood  still  as  he 
saw  the  inequality  of  the  contest. 

"Why  don't  they  send  us  over  there  to  help  those 
men?"  he  anxiously  asked.  "They  can't  stand  up 
asrainst  that  awful  crowd." 

".Tust  wait,"  said  Shorty  hopefully.  "Old  Eosy  knows 
what  he's  dcin\  lie's  got  enough  nereiorihe  Dusiness." 

The  artiller}^  all  along  the  line  burst  out  in  torrents  of 
shells  J  but  Si's  eyes  were  glued  on  the  two  little  brigades. 
He  saw  the  white  spurts  from  the  skirmishers'  rifles, 
and  men  drop  among  the  rebels,  who  yet  moved  slowdy 
forward,  like  some  all-engulfing  torrent.  The  skirmish- 
ers ran  back  to  the  main  linO;  and  along  its  front  sped  a 
burst  of  smoke  as  each  regiment  fired  by  volley.  The 
foremost  rebel  line  quivered  a  little,  but  moved  steadily 
on . 

Then  a  cloud  of  white  smoke  hid  both  Union  and  rebel 
lines,  and  from  it  came  the  sound  as  of  thousands  of 
carpenters  hammering  away  industriously  at  nails. 

Presently  Si  was  agonized  to  see  a  fringe  of  blue  break 
back  from  the  bank  of  smoke,  and  run  rapidly  to  tiie 
rear.  They  were  followed  by  regiments  falling  back 
slowly,  in  order,  and  turning  at  the  word  of  command  to 
deliver  volleys  in  the  faces  of  their  yelling  pursuers. 

Si  looked  at  his  Colonel,  and  saw  him  anxiously  watch- 
ins  the  bii2:ade  commander  for  orders  to  rush  across  the 
livei  to  the  assistance  of  the  two  biigades. 

Suddenly  there  was  a  whirl  in  front.  A  battery  gal- 
loped up,  the  drivers  lashing  the  horses,  the  cannoneers 
sitting  stolidly  on  the  limbers  with  their  arms  folded.  It 


-    SI   KLEOG   AND  SHOBTY. 

swept  by  to  a  knoll  in  front  and  to  the  ligiit,  wMcli  com- 
manded tlie  other  side  of  the  river.  Instantly  the  gun- 
ners sprang  to  the  ground,  the  cannon  were  tossed  about 
as  if  they  were  playthings,  and  before  Si  could  fairly 
wink  he  saw  the  guns  lined  up  on  the  bank,  the  drivers 


*'SI  KLEGG  FELL  WITHOUT  A  GROAN. 


standing  by  the  horses'  heads,  and  the  cannons  belching 
savagely  into  the  flanks  of  the  horde  of  rebels. 

Then  another  battery  swept  up  alongside  the  first,  and 
another,  until  58  guns  crowned  the  high  banks  and 
thundered  until  the  earth  shook  as  with  the  ague.  A 
deluge  of  iron  swept  the  fields  where  the  mighty  host  of 


VICTORY  FOR  THE  ARMY  OF  THE  CUMBERLAND,  91 


rebels  were  advancing.  Tops  were  torn  out  of  trees  and 
fell  with  a  crash,  fence-rails  and  limbs  of  oak  went  madly 
flying  through  the  air,  regiments  and  brigades  disap- 
peared before  the  awful  blast. 

For  a  few  minutes  Si  and  Shorty  stood  appalled  at  iht 
deafening  crash  and  the  shocking  destruction.  Then 
they  saw  the  rebels  reel  and  fly  before  the  tornado  of 
death. 

A  great  shout  rose  from  thousands  of  excited  men 
standing  near.  Regiments  and  brigades  started  as  with 
one  impulse  to  rush  across  the  river  and  pursue  the  fly- 
ing enemy.  The  200th  Ind.  was  one  of  these.  No  one 
heard  any  orders  from  the  officers.  The  men  caught  the 
contagion  of  victory  and  r"shed  forward,  sweeping  with 
them  the  lately-defeated  brigades,  hurrying  over  the 
wreckage  of  the  cannon-fire,  over  the  thickly-strewn 
dead  and  wounded,  and  gathering  in  prisoners,  flags  and 
cannon. 

They  went  on  so,  nearly  to  the  breastworks  behind 
which  the  rebels  were  seeking  shelter 

Si  and  Shorty  were  among  the  foremost.  A  few  hundred 
yards  from  the  rebel  Avorks  Si  fell  to  the  ground  without 
a  ^^roan.  Shorty  saw^  him,  and  ran  to  him.  The  side  of 
his  head  was  covered  with  blood,  and  he  was  motionl-ess. 

"Stone  dead— bullet  plum  through  his  head,"  said  the 
agonized  Shorty.  But  there  was  no  time  for  mourning 
the  fallen.  The  pursuit  was  still  hot,  and  Shorty's  duty 
was  in  front.  He  ran  ahead  until  the  Colonel  halted  the 
regiment.  Fresh  rebels  were  lining  up  in  the  breast- 
works and  threatening  a  return  charge  which  would  be 
disastrous.  The  Colonel  hastily  reformed  the  regiment 
to  meet  this,  and  slowly  withdrew  it  in  good  order  to  re- 
sist any  counter-attack.  After  marching  a  mile  more  or 
the  regiment  halted  and  went  into  bi^^ouac.  The  rejoic- 
ing men  started  great  fires  and  set  about  getting  supper. 


^3  SI  KtEm  AND  SHOETT. 

But  the  saddened  Shorty  had  no  heart  for  rejoicing  over 
the  victory,  or  for  supper.  He  drew  off  from  the  rest,  sat 
down  at  the  roots  of  an  oak,  Avrapped  the  cape  of  his  over- 
coat about  his  face,  and  abandoned  himself  to  his  bitter 


"YES,  IT'S  REALLY  ME.'» 


grief.  Earth  had  no  more  joy  for  him.  He  wished  he  had 
been  shot  at  the  same  time  his  partner  was.  He  could 
think  of  nothing  but  that  poor  boy  lying  there  dead  an^ 


TICTORY  FOR  THE  ARMY  OF  THE  CUMBERLAND.  93 

motionless  on  the  cold  ground.  Tie  felt  that  he  could 
never  think  of  anything  elsC;  and  the  sooner  he  was  shot 
the  better  it  would  be. 

The  other  boys  respected  his  grief.  At  first  they  tried 
to  tempt  him  to  eat  something  and  drink  some  coffee, 
Init  Shorty  would  not  listen  to  them,  and  they  drew  away, 
that  he  might  be  alone. 

He  sat  thus  for  some  hours.  The  loss  of  their  sturdy 
Corporal  saddened  the  whole  company,  and  as  they  sat 
around  their  fires  after  supper  they  extolled  his  good 
traits,  recounted  his  exploits,  and  easily  made  him  out 
the  best  soldier  in  the  regiment. 

Presently  the  fifes  and  dnmis  played  tattoo,  and  the 
boys  began  preparations  for  turning  in. 

Shorty  had  become  nearly  frozen  sitting  there  motion- 
less, and  he  got  up  and  went  to  the  fire  to  thaw  out. 
He  had  just  picked  up  a  rail  to  lay  it  on  the  fire  in  better 
shape,  when  he  heard  a  weak  voice  inqviiring: 

"Does  anybody  know  where  the  200th  lud.  is?" 

Shorty  dropped  the  rail  as  if  he  had  been  shot,  and 
rushed  in  the  direction  of  the  voice.  In  an  instant  he 
came  back  almost  carrying  Si  Klegg. 

There  was  a  hubbub  around  the  fire  that  kept  every* 
body  from  paying  the  least  attention  to  "taps." 

"Yes,  it's  really  me,"  said  Si,  responding  as  well  as  he 
was  able  to  the  hearty  handshakings.  "And  I  ainH  no 
ghost  neither.  I've  got  an  appetite  on  me  like  a  prairie 
fire,  and  if  you  fellers  are  really  glad  to  see  me  you'll 
hustle  up  here  all  the  grub  in  the  Commissary  Depart- 
ment. I  can  eat  every  mite  of  it.  I  wuz  hit  by  a  spent 
ball  and  knocked  senseless.  But  I  ain't  going  to  tell  you 
i  ny  more  till  I  get  something  to  eat."^ 


94 


BI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


CHAPTEE  X. 

AFTER  THE  BATTLE. 

The  boys  were  so  glad  to  see  Si  back  again  alive  that 
they  robbed  themselves  of  any  choice  morsel  of  food  they 
might  have  saved  for  to-morrow's  delectation. 

"Here,  Si,"  said  one,  ''is  a  nice  knuckle-bone  o'  ham, 
that  I  pulled  back  there  at  tlie  General's  when  his  cook 
returned  to  the  tent  for  something.  You  ought  t've 
heard  the  nigger  cussing  as  I  walked  away,  but  he 
couldn't  recognize  the  back  o'  my  head,  nor  see  under 
my  overcoat.  Me  and  my  chum  've  had  supper  off  it, 
and  we  wuz  saving  the  rest  for  breakfast,  but  I'll  brile  it 
for  you." 

"Some  of  them  Kentucky  fellers,"  said  another,  "found 
a  sheep  in  the  briars  and  killed  it.  I  traded  'em  my  silk 
handkerchief  for  a  hunk  o'  the  meat.  I'm  going  to  cook 
a  slice  for  you,  Si." 

^^Si,  I'll  bile  some  coffee  for  you,"  said  a  third. 

'-'I'll  toast  some  crackers  for  you,"  added  a  fourth. 

Shorty  roused.  He  felt  so  much  gladder  than  any  of 
them,  that  he  was  jealous  of  their  attentions. 

"See  here,  you  fellers,"  said  he,  "this  is  my  partner, 
an'  I'm  able  to  take  care  of  him.  I'll  bile  all  the  coffee 
an'  toast  all  the  crackers  he  kin  eat;  though  I'm  much 
obliged  to  you,  Jim,  for  your  ham,  and  to  you,  Billy,  for 
your  mutton,  though  I'm  afraid  it'll  taste  too  much  of  the 
wool  for  a  wounded  man." 

^^Don't  mind  about  that,"  said  Si;  '^I'm  hungry  enough 
to  eat  the  wool  on  the  sheep's  back,  even.  Hand  over 
your  mutton,  Billy,  an'  thankee  for  it.  My  appetite's  not 
delicate,  I  can  tell  you.  AVoolly  mutton  won't  faze  it 
more'n  bark  would  a  buzz-saw." 


AFTER    THE  BATTLE. 


95 


Si  didn't  over-state  the  case.  He  ate  evervtliin^  tliat 
was  cooked  and  offered  him,  until  he  declared  that  he 
was  so  full  he  ''could  touch  it  with  his  finger." 


SHOETY  THIXKS  SI  DOES  XOT  LOOK  LIKE  A  GHOST. 


"I'm  sure  you're  not  a  ghost^  from  the  way  you  eat^" 
said  Shorty,  who  was  beginning  to  recover  his  propensity 
for  sarcasm.  "If  ghosts  et  like  you  there'd  Lave  to  be  a 
steam  bakery  an'  a  pork  packery  run  in  connection  v,  iih 
every  graveyard." 

"And  Pd  never  take  no  ghost  to  board,"  said  Billy. 

"Come,  Si,"  said  Jimmy  Barlovr,  filling  a  briar-wood 
pipe  with  kinnikinnick;  lighting  it  from  the  fire,  taking  a 


61   KLEGG    AND  SHORTY. 


few  puffs  to  start  it,  and  handing  it  to  Si,  "tell  us  just 
what  happened  to  you.    We're  dyiii'  to  hear." 

"Well,"  said  Si,  settling  down  with  the  pipe  into  a  com- 
fortable position,  "I  don't  know  Avhat  happened.  Last 
thing  I  knowed  1  wuz  runnin'  ahead  on  Shorty's  left, 
loadin'  my  gun,  an'  tryin'  to  keep  up  with  the  Colonel's 
Loss.  Next  thing  I  knowed  I  wuz  wakin'  up  at  the  foot 
of  a  black-oak.  Everything  was  quiet  around  me,  ex- 
cept the  yellin'  of  two  or  three  wounded  men  a  little  ways 
off.  At  first  I  thought  a  cannon-ball'd  knocked  my  whole 
head  off.  Then  it  occurred  to  me  that  if  my  head  was 
knocked  off  I  couldn't  hear  nor  see"  

*Nor  think,  even,"  injected  Shorty. 

"No,  nor  think,  even.    For  what'd  I  to  think  with?" 
know  some  fellers  that  seem  to  think  with  their  feet, 
and  ihat  blamed  awkwardly,"  mused  Shorty. 

"1  kept  on  wakin'  up,"  continued  Si.  "At  first  I 
thought  1  had  no  head  at  all,  an'  then  it  seemed  to  me  I 
was  all  head,  it  hurt  so  awfully.  I  couldn't  move  hand 
nor  foot.  Then  I  thought  mebbe  only  half  my  head  was 
shot  away.,  an'  the  rest  was  aching  for  all.  1  tried  shut- 
tin*  one  eye  an.'  then  the  other,  an'  found  I'd  at  least 
both  eyes  left.  I  naoved  my  head  a  little,  an'  found  that 
the  ^^ack  part  was  still  there,  for  a  bump  on  the  roots  of 
the  oak  hurt  it. 

".^y-'^nd^bv  the  numbness  began  to  go  out  of  my  head 
an"  .^rm,  but  I  was  afraid  to  put  my  hand  up  to  my  head, 
Ua  [  was  afraid  to  find  out  how  much  was  gone.  Nearly 
tne  whole  of  the  left  side  must  be  gone,  an'  all  my  schoolin' 
scattered  over  the  ground.  I  lay  there  thinkin'  it  all 
over— how  awful  I'd  look  when  you  fellers  came  to  find 
rne  and  bury  me,  an'  hoAv  you  wouldn't  dare  tell  the  folks 
at  home  about  it. 

"Finally,  I  got  plum  desperate.  I  didn't  seem  to  be 
dyin',  but  to  be  gettin'  better  every  Qiinute.    I  determined 


LTTEVx    THE  BATTLE. 


97 


to  find  out  Just  liow  mucli  of  my  head  was  really  gone. 
I  put  up  my  hand;  timid-like,  an'  felt  my  forehead.  It 
was  all  there.  I  passed  my  hand  back  over  my  hair  an' 
the  whole  back  of  my  head  was  there.  I  felt  around 
carefully,  an'  there  was  the  whole  side  of  my  head,  oidy 
a  little  welt  where  I'd  got  a  spent  ball.  Then  I  got  mad 
an'  I  jumped  up.  Think  of  my  makin'  all  that  fuss  over 
a  little  peck  that  might  have  been  made  by  a  brick-bat. 
I  started  out  to  hunt  you  fellers,  an'  here  I  am." 

"Yes,  but  you  wouldn't  've  bin  here,"  philosophized 
Shorty,  examining  the  wound,  "if  the  feller  that  fired 
that  shot'd  given  his  gun  a  little  hunch.  If  that  bullet'd 
"went  a  half-inch  deeper,  you'd  be  up  among  the  stars  a 
bow-legged  Wabash  angel." 

'^Well,  we've  licked  the  stuffin'  out  of  'em  at  last,  have- 
n't we?"  asked  Si. 

"Well,  I  should  say  we  had,"  replied  Shorty  with  an 
impressive  whistle.  "I  thought  the  artillery  would  tear 
the  foundations  out  of  the  wdiole  State  of  Tennessee,  the 
way  it  let  into  them.  There  won't  be  more  crashin'  an* 
bangin'  when  the  w^orld  breaks  up.  I'd  a-bin  willin'  to 
serve  100  years  just  to  see  that  sight.  Lord,  what  a 
chance  the  cannoneers  had.  First  time  I  ever  wanted  to 
be  in  the  artillery.  The  way  they  slung  whole  black- 
smith shops  over  into  them  woods,  an'  smashed  doAvn 
trees,  and  wiped  out  whole*  brigades  at  a  clip,  filled  niy 
soul  with  joy." 

"We  must  go  over  there  in  the  mornin*  an'  take  a  look 
at  the  place,"  said  Si  drowsily.  "It  will  be  good  to  re- 
member alongside  o'  the  way  they  slapped  it  to  us  the 
first  day."  . 

Si  and  Shorty  woke  up  the  next  morning  to  find  the 
chill  rain  pouring  down  as  if  the  country  had  been  suf- 
fering from  a  year's  drouth,  and  the  rain  was  going  to 
make  up  for  it  in  one  forenoon 


98 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


"Lord  liave  mercy/'  said  the  disgusted  Shorty,  as  he 
fell  into  line  for  roll-call.  "Another  seepin',  soppin', 
sloshin',  spatteiin'  day.  Only  had  U  of  'em  this  week 
so  far.  Should  think  the  geese  'd  carry  umbrellas,  an' 
the  cows  w^ear  overshoes  in  this  land  of  eternal  drizzle. 
If  I  ever  get  home  they'll  have  to  run  me  through  a  brick- 
kiln to  dry  me  out." 


GI  REFUSES  TO  CALL  UPON  THE  DOCTOR. 

In  spite  of  the  down-pour  the  army  was  forming  up 
rapidly  to  resume  the  advance  upon  Murfreesboro',  and 
over  the  ground  on  the  left,  that  had  proved  so  disastrous 
to  the  rebels  the  day  before. 

While  the  200th  Ind.  was  getting  ready  to  fall  in,  the 


AFTER    THE  BATTLE. 


99 


siclv-call  soiinclcJ.  and  the  Orderly-Sergeant  remarked 
to  Si: 

"Fall  into  this  squad.  Corporal  Klegg." 

''AVhat  for?'-  asked  Si,  looking  askance  at  the  squad. 

"To  go  to  the  Surceon's  tent,"  answered  the  Orderly- 
Sergeant.    "This  is  the  sick  squad." 

"That's  what  I  thought,"  answered  Si,  ''an'  that's  the 
reason  I  aint  gcin'  to  join  it." 

"But  your  head's  bigger'n  a  bushel,  Si,"  remonstrated 
the  Sergeant.    "Better  let  the  doctor  see  it." 

"I  don't  want  none  of  his  bluemass  or  quinine,"  per- 
sistod  Si.  "That's  all  he  ever  gives  for  anything.  The 
swellin'  '11  come  out  o'  my  head  in  time,  same  as  it  does 
out  o'  other  people's." 

"Corporal,  I'll  excuse  you  from  duty  to-day,"  said  the 
Captain  kindly.  "I  really  think  you  ought  to  go  to  the 
Surgeon." 

"If  you  don't  mind.  Captain,"  said  Si,  saluting,  "I'll 
s^^jO^'i^^^  the  boys.  I  want  to  see  this  thing  to  the  end. 
My  iiead  won't  hurt  me  half  so  bad  as  if  I  was  back 
gruntin'  'round  in  the  hospital." 

"Probably  you  are  right,"  said  the  Captain.  "Come 
along,  then." 

Willing  and  brave  as  the  men  were,  all  the  movements 
were  tiresomely  slow  and  laggard.  The  week  of  march- 
ing and  King  unsheltered  in  the  rain,  of  terrific  fighting, 
and  of  awful  anxiety  had  brought  about  mental  and 
physical  exhaustion.  The  men  were  utterly  worn  out 
in  body  and  mind.  This  is  usually  the  case  in  every 
great  battle.  Both  sides  struggle  with  all  their  mental 
and  physical  powers,  until  both  are  worn  out.  The  one 
that  can  make  just  a  little  more  effort  than  the  other 
wins  the  victory.  This  was  emphatically  so  in  the  battle 
of  Stone  River.    The  rebels  had  exhausted  themselves, 


IOC 


SLEGG    AND  SITOHTY. 


even  J  more  in  tlieir  assaults  than  the  Union  men  had  in 
repelling  them. 

When,  therefore,  the  long  line  of  blue  labored  slowly 
through  the  mud  and  the  drenching  rain  up  the  gentle 
slopes  on  the  farther  side  of  Stone  Kiver,  the  rebels  sul- 
lenly  gave  ground  before  them.  At  last  a  point  was 
reached  which  commanded  a  view  of  Murfreesoro'  and 
the  rebel  position.  The  rebels  were  seen  to  be  in  retreat, 
and  the  exhausted  Army  of  the  Cumberland  was  mighty 
glad  to  have  them  go. 

As  soon  as  it  Avas  certain  that  the  enemy  was  really 
abandoning  the  bitterly-contested  field,  an  inexpressible 
weariness  overwhehned  everybody.  The  200th  Ind.  could 
scarcely  drag  one  foot  after  another  as  it  moved  back  to 
find  a  suitable  camping-groundo 

Si  and  Shorty  crawled  into  a  cedar  thicket,  broke  down 
some  brush  for  a  bed,  laid  a  pole  in  two  crotches,  leaned 
some  brush  against  it  to  make  a  partial  shelter,  built  a 
fire,  and  sat  down. 

"I  declare,  I  never  knew  what  being  tuckered  ouVjvas 
before,"  said  Si.  "And  it's  come  on  me  all  of  a  sudden. 
This  morning  I  felt  as  if  I  could  do  great  things,  but  the 
minute  I  found  that  them  rebels  was  really  going,  my 
legs  begun  to  sink  under  me." 

*'Same  w^ay  with  me,"  accorded  Shorty.  "Don't  believe 
I've  got  strength  enough  left  to  pull  a  settin'  hen  offen 
her  nest.  But  we  can't  be  drowned  out  this  way.  We 
must  fix  up  some  better  shelter." 

"The  Colonel  says  there's  a  wagon-load  o'  rations  on 
the  way  here,"  said  Si,  sinking  wearily  down  on  the 
giound  by  the  fire,  and  putting  out  his  hands  over  the 
feeble  blaze.  "Let's  w^ait  till  we  git  something  to  eat. 
Mebbe  w^e'U  feel  more  like  work  after  we've  eaten  some- 
thing." 

*'Si  Kleg^,"  said  Shorty  sternlj^  but  sailing  down  Iiim- 


AFTER   THE  BATTLE. 


101 


self  on  the  otlier  side  of  tlie  fire,  "1  never  knowed  you  to 
flop  down  before.  You've  always  bin,  if  anything,  for- 
w^arder  than  me.  I  was  in  hopes  now  that  you'd  take 
me  by  the  back  o'  the  neck  and  try  to  shake  some  o'  this 
laziness  out  o'  me." 

"Wait  till  the  rations  come,"  repeated  Si,  listlessly. 
"Mebbe  we'll  feel  livelier  then."   The  shelter  we've  fixed 
up'll  keep  out  the  coarsest  o'  the  rain  anyway.  Most 
the  boys  ain't  got  none." 

When  the  rations  arrived.  Si  and  Shorty  had  energy 
enough  to  draw,  cook  and  devour  an  immense  supper. 
Then  they  felt  more  tired  than  ever.  Shorty  had  man- 
aged to  tear  off  a  big  piece  of  the  w^agon  cover  while  he 
was  showing  much  zeal  in  getting  the  rations  distributed 
quickly.  He  got  the  company's  share  in  this,  and  helped 
carry  it  to  the  company,  but  never  for  a  minute  relaxed 
his  hold  on  the  coveted  canvas.  Then  he  took  it  back 
to  his  fire.  Si  and  he  spent  what  energy  they  had  left  in 
making  a  tolerable  tent  of  it,  by  stretching  it  over  their 
shelter.  They  tied  it  down  carefully,  to  keep  anybody 
else  from  stealing  it  off  them,  and  Shorty  took  the  addi- 
tional precaution  of  fastening  a  strip  of  it  around  his 
neck.  Then  they  crawled  in,  and  before  night  come  on 
they  were  sleeping  apparently  as  soundly  as  the  Seven 
of  Eghesus*, 


102 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHOKTY. 


CHAPTER  XL 
GOING  INTO  WINTER  yUARTEES. 

The  next  day — Sunday — after  the  battle  dawned  as 
clear,  bright  and  sparkling  as  only  a  Winter's  day  can 
dawn  in  Tennessee,  after  a  fortnight  of  doleful  deluges. 
Tennessee  Winter  weather  is  like  the  famous  little  girl 
with  the  curl  right  down  the  middle  of  her  forehead,  who, 

*''When  she  was  good  was  very,  very  good, 
And  when  she  was  bad  was  horrid." 

After  weeks  of  heart-saddening  down-pour  that  threat- 
ens to  drench  life  and  hope  out  of  every  breathing  thing, 
it  will  suddenly  beam  out  in  a  day  so  crisp  and  bright 
that  all  Nature  will  wear  a  gladsome  smile  and  life  be- 
come jocund. 

When  the  reveille  and  the  Orderly-Sergeant's  brogans 
aroused  Si  and  Shorty  the  latter's  first  thought  was  for 
the  strip  of  canvas  which  he  had  securea  with  so  much 
trouble  from  the  wagon-cover,  and  intended  to  cherish  for 
future  emergencies.  He  felt  his  neck  and  found  the 
strip  that  he  had  tied  there,  but  that  was  all  that  there 
was  of  it.  A  sharp  knife  had  cut  away  the  rest  so  deftly 
that  he  had  not  felt  its  loss. 
(  Shorty's  boiler  got  very  hot  at  once,  and  he  began  blow- 
ing off  steam.  Somehow  he  had  taken  an  especial  fancy 
to  that  piece  of  canvas,  and  his  wrath  was  hot  against 
the  man  who  had  stolen  it. 

'•'Condemn  that  ornery  thief,"  he  yelled.  "He  ought  to  be 
drummed  out  o'  camp,  with  his  head  shaved.  A  man 
that'll  steal  ought  to  be  hunted  down  and  kicked  out  o' 
the  army.   He's  not  fit  to  associate  w^ith  decent  men.*^ 


GOING  IXTO  WINTER  QUARTERS. 


103 


Wliy^  Slioity,"  said  Si=  amused  at  his  partner's  lieat, 
"jou  stole  that  yoin'self." 

"I  didn't  do  nutliin'  o'  tlie  kind,"  snorted  Shorty,  ''and 
i  don't  want  you  sayin'  so,  Mr.  Klegg,  if  you  don't  want 


SHORTY  RETALIATES. 


to  git  into  trouble.  I  took  it  from  a  teamster.  You  ouglit 
to  know  it's  never  stealin'  to  take  anything  from  a  team^ 
ster.  I'll  bet  it  was  some  of  that  Toledo  regiment  that 
stole  it.   Them  Maumee  Paver  muskrats  are  the  durndest 


104 


Ki   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


thieves  in  tlie  brigade.  They'd  steal  the  salt  out  o'  your 
hardtack  if  you  didn't  watch  'em— not  because  they 
wanted  the  salt^  but  just  because  they  can't  help  stealin'. 
They  ought  to  be  fired  out  o'  the  brigade.  I'm  going  over 
to  their  camp  to  look  for  it,  and  if  I  find  it  I'll  Avipe  the 
ground  up  Vvith  the  feller  that  took  it.  'Taint  so  much 
the  value  of  the  thing  as  the  principle.  I  hate  a  thief 
above  all  things." 

Si  tried  to  calm  Shorty  and  dissuade  him  from  going, 
but  his  partner  was  determined,  and  Si  let  him  go,  but 
kcDt  an  eye  and  ear  open  for  develonments. 

In  a  fevv  minutes  Shorty  returned,  with  Jubilation  in 
his  face,  the  canvas  in  or.e  hand  and  a  nice  frying-pan 
and  a  canteen  of  molasses  in  the  other. 

"Just  as  I  told  you,"  he  said  triumphantly.  "It  was 
seme  o'  them  Maumee  Eiver  muskrats.  I  found  them 
asleep  in  a  bunch  o'  cedars,  with  our  nice  tent  stretched 
over  their  thievin'  carcasses.  They'd  been  out  on  guard 
or  scoutin',  and  come  in  after  we'd  gone  to  sleep.  They 
were  still  snorin'  away  when  I  yanked  the  tent  off,  an' 
picked  up  their  fryin'-pan  an'  canteen  o'  molacses  to  re- 
J.  emljer  'em  by." 

"I  thought  you  hated  a  thief,"  Si  started  to  say;  but 
real  comrades  soon  learn,  like  husband  and  wife,  that 
it  is  not  necessary  to  say  everything  that  rises  to  their 
lips.  Besides,  the  frying-pan  was  a  beauty,  and  just 
what  they  wanted. 

It  became  generally  understood  during  the  day  that  tht 
Army  of  the  Cumberland  would  remain  around  Murfrees- 
boro  indefinitely — probably  until  Spring — to  rest,  refit 
and  prepare  for  another  campaign.  Instructions  were 
given  to  regimental  commanders  to  select  good  camping 
ground  and,  have  their  men  erect  comfortable  Winter 
quarters. 

The  2C0th  Ind.  moved  into  an  oak  grove,  on  a  gentle 


GOING  INTO  WINTER  QUARTERS. 


105 


slope  toward  the  south,  and  set  about  making  itself 
thoroughly  at  home. 

Si  and  Shorty  were  prompt  to  improve  the  opportunity 
to  house  themselves  comfortably. 

Si  had  now  been  long  enough  in  the  army  ,  to  regard 
everything  that  was  not  held  down  by  a  man  with  a  gun 
and  bayonet  as  legitimate  capture.  He  passed  where 
one  of  the  Pioneer  Corps  had  laid  down  his  ax  for  a  minute 
to  help  on  some  other  work.  That  minute  was  spent  by 
Si  in  walking  away  with  the  ax  hidden  under  his  long 
overcoat.  Those  long  overcoats,  like  charity,  covered  a 
multitude  of  sins. 

The  ax  was  not  sharp — no  army  ax  ever  was,  but  Si's 
aryd  Shorty's  muscles  were  vigorous  enough  to  make  up 
!^  its  dullness.  In  a  little  while  they  had  cu|  down  and 
trimmed  enough  oak  saplings  to  make  a  pen  about  the 
size  of  the  corn-crib  at  Si's  home.  While  one  would 
whack  away  with  the  ax  the  other  would  carry  the  poles 
and  build  up  the  pen.  By  evening  they  had  got  this 
higher  than  their  heads,  and  had  to  stop  work  from  sheer 
exhaustion. 

"I'll  declare,"  said  Si,  as  they  sat  doAvn  to  eat  supper 
and  survey  their  work,  "if  father'd  ever  made  me  do  half 
as  much  work  in  one  day  as  I  have  done  to-day  I  should 
have  died  with  tiredness  and  then  run  away  from  home. 
It  does  seem  to  me  that  every  day  we  try  a  new  way  o' 
killing  ourselves." 

"Well,"  said  Shorty,  arresting  a  liberal  chunk  of  fried 
pork  on  the  way  to  his  capacious  grinders  to  cast  an 
admiring  glance  on  the  structure,  "it's  worth  it  all.  It'll 
just  be  the  daisyest  shebang  in  Tennessee  when  we  git 
it  finished.  I'm  only  afraid  we'll  make  it  so  fine  that  Gen. 
Rosecrans  or  the  Governor  of  Tennessee  '11  come  down 
and  take  it  away  for  himself.    That'd  just  be  our  luck." 

"Great  ScottI''  said  Si,  looking  at  it  with  a  groan.  "How 


106 


SI  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


miicli  work  tliere  is  to  do  yet.  What  are  we  goin'  to  do 
for  a  roof?  Then,  we  must  cut  out  a  place  for  a  door. 
We'll  haVe  to  chink  between  all  the  logs*  with  mud  and 
chunks;  and  we  ought  to  have  a  fireplace." 

"I've  bin  thinkin'  of  all  them  things,  and  I've  thunk 
^em  out,"  said  Shorty  cheerfully.  "I've  bin  thinkin' 
while  you've  bin  workin'.  Do  you  know,  I  believe  I  was 
born  for  an  architect,  an'  I'll 'go  into  the  architect  busi- 
ness after  the  war!  I've  got  a  head  plumb  full  of  the 
natural  stuff  for  the  business.  It  growed  right  there.  All 
I  need  is  some  more  know-how  as  to  figgers  an'  makin' 
plans  on  paper." 

"0,  you've  got  a  great  big  head.  Shorty,"  said  Si,  ad- 
miringly, "and  whateverVou  start  to  do  you  do  splendidly. 
Nobody  knows  that  better 'n  me.  But  what's  your  idee 
about  the  roof?" 

"Why,  do  you  see  that  there  freight- car  over  there  by 
the  bridge,"  (pointing  to  where  a  car  was  off  the  track, 
near  Stone  Eiver.)  "I've  bin  watchin'  that  ever  since 
we  begun  buildin',  for  fear  somebody  else'd  drop  on  to  it. 
The  roof  of  that  car  is  tin.  We'll  jest  slip  down  there 
with  the  ax  after  dark,  an'  cut  off  enough  to  make  a 
splendid  roof.  I  always  wanted  a  tin-roofed  house.  Ole 
Jake  Wilson,  who  lives  near  us,  had  a  tin  roof  on  his 
barn,  an'  it  made  his  daughters  so  proud  they  wouldn't 
go  home  with  me  from  meetin'.  You  kin  write  home 
thatjwe  have  a  new  house  with  a  tin  roof,  an'  it'll  help 
your  sisters  to  marry  better." 

"Shorty,  that  head  o'  your'n  gits  bigger  every  tune  I 
look  at  it." 

Si  and  Shorty  had  the  extreme  quality  of  leiiig  able  to 
forget  fatigue  when  there  wa"s  something  to  be  accom- 
plished.  As  darkness  settled  down  they  picked  up  the  ax 
and  proceeded  across  the  fields  to  the  freight-car. 
"  "There's  someone  in  thej'Q^"  said  Si,  as  they  came  close 


COIXG   INTO  WINTER  QUARTERS. 


107 


to  it.  Tliey  reconnoitered  it  carefully.  Five  or  six  men, 
Avithout  arms,  were  comfortably  ensconced  inside  and 
playing  cards  by  the  light  of  a  lire  of  pitch-pine/  which 
they  had  built  upon  some  dirt  placed  in  the  middle  of 
the  car. 

"They're  blamed  skulkers/'  said  Shorty,  after  a  min- 
ute's survey  of  the  interior.  "Don't  you  see  they  haint 
got  their  guns  with  'em?   We  won't  mind  'em." 

They  climbed  on  top  of  the  car^  measured  off  about 
half  of  it,  and  began  cutting  through  the  tin  with  the  ax. 
The  noise  alarmed  the  men  inside.  They  jumped  out  ou 
the  ground,  and  called  up: 

"flere,  what're  you  fellers  doin'  up  there?  This  is  our 
car.    Let  it  alone.' 

"Go  to  the  devil,"  said  Shorty,  making  another  slash 
at  the  roof  with  the  ax. 

"This  is  our  car,  I  tell  you,"  reiterated  the  men.  "You 
let  it  alone,  or  we'll  make  you."  Some  of  the  men  looked 
around  for  something  to  throw^  at  them. 

Si  walked  to  the  end  of  the  car,  tore  off  the  brake- 
wheel,  and  came  back.  ^ 

"You  fellers  down  there  shut  up  and  go  back  inside  to 
your  cards,  if  you  know  wdiat's  good  for  you,"  he  said. 
"You're  nothing  but  a  lot  of  durned  skulkers.  We  are 
here  under  orders.  We  don't  Avant  nothin'  but  a  piece  o' 
the  tin  roof.  You  kin  have  the  rest.  If  any  of  you  at- 
tempts to  throw  anything  I'll  mash  him  into  the  g^j^nd 
with  this  wheel.  Do  you  hear  me?  Go  back  inside,  or 
we'll  arrest  the  whole  lot  of  you  and  take  you  back  to 
your  regiments." 

Si's  authoritative  tone,  and  the  red  stripes  on  his  arm, 
were  too  much  for  the  guilty  consciences  of  the  skulkers, 
and  they  went  back  inside  the  car.  The  tearing  off  the 
roof  proceeded  without  further  interruption,  but  with  con- 
siderable mangling  of  their  hands  by  the  edges  of  the  tin. 


108 


SI  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY, 


After  they  had  gotten  it  off,  they  proceeded  to  roll  it  up 
and  started  back  for  their  "house."  It  was  a  fearful  load, 
and  one  that  they  would  not  have  attempted  to  carry  in 
ordinary  times.  But  their  blood  was  up,  they  were  de- 
termined^^  outshine  everybody  else  with  their  tin  roof, 
and  they  toiled  on  over  the  mud  and  rough  ground,  al- 
though every  little  while  one  of  them  would  make  a  mis- 
step and  both  would  fall,  and  the  heavy  weight  would 
seem  to  mash  th^em  into  the  ground. 

"I  don't  wonder  old  Jake  Wilson  was  proud  of  his  tin 
roof,"  gasped  Si,  as  he  pulled  himself  out  of  a  mudhole 
and  rolled  the  tin  off  him  and  Shorty.  "If  I'd  a  tin  roof 
on  my  barn  durned  if  my  daughter  should  walk  home 
with  a  man  that  didn't  own  a  whole  section  of  bottom 
land  and  drove  o'  mules  to  boot." 

It  was  fully  midnight  before  they  reached  their  pen  and 
laid  their  burden  down.  They  were  too  tired  to  do  any- 
thing more  than  lay  their  blankets  down  on  a  pile  of 
cedar  boughs  and  go  to  sleep. 

The  next  morning  thfey  unrolled  their  booty  and  gloated 
over  it.  It  would  make  a  perfect  roof,  and  they  felt  it  re- 
paid all  their  toils.  Upon  measurement  they  found  it 
much  larger  each  way  than  their  log  pen. 

"Just  right,"  said  Shorty  gleefully.  "It'll  stick  out  two 
feet  all  around.  It's  the  aristocratic,  fashionable  thing 
now-a-days  to  have  wide  cornishes.  Remember  them 
sweJ^  houses  we  wuz  lookin'  at  in  Louisville?  We're 
riglinn  style  with  them." 

The  rest  of  Co.  Q  gathered  around  to  inspect  it  and 
envy  them. 

"I  suppose  you  left  some,"  said  Jack  Wilkinson.  "I'll 
go  down  there  and  get  the  rest." 

"Much  you  won't,"  said  Si,  looking  toward  the  car; 
^there  ain't  no  rest." 

They  all  looked  that  'F<m}^  m  ^  was  the  cas  .liad 


GOIXG  INTO  Yy'IXTEE  QUARTErtS. 


1&9 


totally  disappeared,  down  to  tlie  T\'lieels.  wliicli  soma 
men  were  rolling  av\'ay. 

"That  must  be  some  o'  them  ]\Iaumee  Eiver  miiskrats," 
said  Shonv,  lookinc^  at  the  latter.    ^'They'll  steal  anv- 


THE  HOUSE  BEAUTIFUL. 

thing  they  kin  git  away  with,  Just  for  the  sake  of  stealin', 
T^Tiat  on  earth  kin  they  do  with  them  wheels?'' 

"They  may  knock  'em  off  the  axles  an'  make  hearths 
for  their  fireplaces,  and  use  the  axles  for  posts/'  sug- 
gested Si* 


110 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


"Here^  you  fellers,"  said  Shorty,  "give  us  a  lift.  Let's 
liave  a  house-raisin'.    Help  us  put  the  roof  on." 

They  fell  to  with  a  will,  even  the  Captain  assisting, 
and,  after  a  good  deal  of  trouble  and  more  cut  hands, 
succeeded  in  getting  the  piece  of  tin  on  top  of  the  pen 
and  bent  down  across  the  ridge-pole.  Si  and  Shorty  pro- 
ceeded to  secure  it  in  place  by  putting  other  poles  across 
it  and  fastening  them  down  with  ropes  and  strip:,  of 
bark  to  the  lower  logs, 

"Your  broad  cornice  is  aristocratic,  as  you  say,"  said 
:^he  Captain,  "but  I'm  afraid  it'll  catch  the  wind,  and  tip 
your  house  over  in  some  big  storm." 

"That's  so,"  admitted  Shorty;  "but  a  feller  that  puts 
on  airs  always  has  to  take  some  chances.  1  don't  want 
people  to  think  that  we  are  mean  and  stingy  about  a  little 
tin,  so  I  guess  we'll  keep  her  just  as  she  is." 

The  next  day  they  borrowed  a  saw  from  the  Pioneers, 
cut  out  a  hole  for  the  door,  and  another  for  the  fireplace. 
They  made  a  frame  for  the  door  out  of  pieces  of  cracker- 
boxes,  and  hung  up  their  bit  of  canvas  for  a  door.  They 
filled  up  the  spaces  between  the  logs  with  pieces  of  wood, 
and  then  daubed  clay  on  until  they  had  the  walls  tight. 
They  gathered  up  stones  and  built  a  commodious  fire- 
place, daubing  it  all  over  with  clay,  until  it  was  wind  and 
water-tight. 

What  are  we  goin'  to  do  for  a  chimney.  Si?"  said  Shorty, 
as  their  fireplace  became  about  breast-high.  "Build  one 
o'  sticks,  like  these  rebels  around  here?  That'll  be  an 
awful  lot  o'  work." 

"I've  had  an  idee,"  said  Si.  "I  aint  goin'  to  let  you  do 
ail  the  thinkin*,  even  if  you  are  a  born  architect.  When 
I  was  helpin'  draw  rations  yesterday,  I  looked  at  the 
pork  barrels,  and  got  an  idee  that  one  of  them'd  make  a 
good  chimney.  I  spoke  to  Bill  Suggs,  the  Commissary- 
Sergeant,  about  it,  and  he  agreed  to  save  me  a  barrel 


GOIOG  IX  rO   VaXTEE  QUAETEES. 


Ill 


T-lien  it  was  empty,  wliicli  it  must  be  about  novr.  I"!! 
go  down  and  see  liim  about  it.*' 

Si  presently  came  baciv  rolling  the  empty  barrel.  They 
knocked  the  bottom  out.  carefully  plastered  it  over  in- 


SOLID  COZtTFORT. 


side  with  clay,  and  set  it  up  on  their  fireplace,  and  made 
the  joints  with  more  clay.  It  made  a  splendid  chimney. 
They  washed  the  clay  off  their  hands,  built  a  cheerful 
file  inside,  cooked  a  bountiful  supper,  and  ate  it  in  the 


112  SI   KLEGG    AND  SHOKTY. 

light  and  comfort  of  tlieir  own  fireside.  It  was  now 
Saturday  night.  They  had  had  a  week  of  severer  toil 
than  they  had  ever  dreamed  of  performing  at  home,  but 
its  reward  was  ample. 

"Ah/'  said  Shorty,  as  he  sat  on  a  chunk  of  wood,  pipe 
in  mouth,  and  absorbed  the  warmth,  "tliis  is  something 
like  home  and  home  comforts.  It's  more  like  white 
livin'  than  I've  had  since  I've  bin  in  the  army.  Let's 
act  like  men  and  Christians  to-morrow,  by  not  doin'  a 
lick  o'  work  o'  any  kind.  Let's  lay  abed  late,  and  then 
wash  up  all  over,  and  go  to  hear  the  Chaplain  preach." 

'^Agreed,"  said  Si,  as  he  spread  out  their  blankets  for 
the  night. 

It  had  been  threatening  weather  all  day,  and  now  the 
rain  came  down  with  a  rush 

"Isn't  that  music,  now,"  said  Shorty,  listening  to  the 
patter  on  the  roof.  "Nothin'  sounds  so  sweet  as  rain 
upon  a  tin  roof.  Let  it  rain  cats  and  dogs,  if  it  wants  to. 
The  harder  the  better.  Si,  there's  nothin'  so  healthy  to 
sleep  under  as  a  tin  roof.  I'll  never  have  anything  but 
a  tin  roof  on  my  house  when  I  git  home.  And  we've  got 
the  only  tin  roof  in  the  regiment.    Think  o'  that.'* 

But  Si  was  too  sleepy  to  even  think, 


"UOOSlEPw'S  KEST." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

SI  AND  SHORTY  MAKE  ADDITIONS  AND  IMPEOVEMENTS  TO 
THEIR  RESIDENCE, 

Si  and  Shorty  kept  Sunday  as  planned.  They  really 
did  not  know  how  tired  they  were  until  they  formed  the 
resolution  to  give  the  day  to  absolute  restfulness.  Then 
every  joint  and  muscle  ached  from  the  arduous  toil  of 
the  past  week,  added  to  the  strains  and  hairdships  of  the 
week  of  battle. 

"Used  to  seem  to  me,"  said  Shorty,  "that  when  Sunday 
come  after  the  first  week's  plowin'  in  Spring  that  I  had  a 
bile  in  every  limb.  Now  I  appear  to  have  one  in  every 
j'int,  and  in  my  brains  as  well.  I  didn't  ever  suppose 
that  I  could  be  so  tired,  and  yit  be  able  to  set  up  and  take 
nourishment." 

'^Same  here,"  said  Si.  "Feel  as  if  I  ought  to  be  wrap- 
ped in  cotton  battin'  an'  sweet  oil,  an'  laid  away  for 
awhile." 

The  only  thing  about  them  which  did  not  show  deadly 
lassitude  was  their  appetites.  Fortunately,  the  Commis- 
sary took  a  liberal  view  of  the  Regulations  as  to  rations, 
issuing  enough  to  make  up  for  those  they  had  not  drawn 
during  the  times  when  his  department  was  not  in  work- 
ing order.  They  ate  all  these  and  wanted  more  ^ 
\  The  Quartermaster  had  also  succeeded  in  re-establish- 
ing relations.  They  drew  from  him  new  underclothing 
to  replace  that  whick  they  had  lost,  took  a  thorough 
wash— the  first  good  one  they  had  had  since  Christmas 
morning — beat  and  brushed  much  of  the  accumulated 
mud— representing  every  variety  of  soil  between  Mur- 
fieesboro  and  Nashville— out  of  their  clothes,  cleaned  and 


114 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


greased  their  heavy  brogans,  and  went  with  tTieir  com- 
rades to  divine  service,  feeling  that  they  had  made  every 
provision  required  for  a  proper  observance  of  the  holy 
day 


AT  THE  SUNDAY  SERVICE  IN  CAMP. 

Si  had  a  really  fine  baritone  voice,  and  led  the  meet^ 

ing  in  singing: 

"Am  I  a  soldier  of  the  cross?" 
After  church  Shorty  said: 

**Si,  when  you  were  singing  so  loud  about  being  a  sol- 


«*n003IER'S  REST.'* 


115 


dier  of  the  cross  and  a  follower  of  the  Lamb  I  wanted  to 
git  right  up  and  tell  you  that  you'd  have  to  git  a  transfer 
from  the  200th  Ind.  We've  lots  of  cross  soldiers,  especially 
on  mud  marches,  but  we  don't  want  any  soldiers  in  this 
regiment  except  for  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States 
and  the  laws  made  in  pursuance  thereof,  against  all 
enemies  and  opposers  whatsoever,  either  foreign  or  do- 
mestic. An'  as  for  follerin'  the  lamb,  you  know  as  well 
as  I  do  the  orders  agin  foragin'." 

"0,  dry  up.  Shorty.  I  don't  believe  going  to  church 
done  you  a  mite  o'  good.    I  tell  you  it  done  me  lots.'* 

"There  you're  mistaken,"  answered  Shorty.  "It  just 
done  me  lots  o'  good.  Kind  o'  restored  communications 
with  home  and  respectable  folks  once  more,  an'  made 
me  think  I  still  belonged  to  what  the  jographies  call 
civilized  and  partially-civilized  people,  something  that 
we  seem  in  great  danger  o'  forgettin',  the  way  we've  bin 
goin'  on." 

The  good  Chaplain's  ferVent  appeals  to  devote  the  day 
to  earnest  consideration  of  their  souls'  welfare  could  not 
keep  them  from  spending  the  hours  in  planning  and  dis- 
cussing further  improvements  on  the  house. 

"We  must  have  a  real  door,"  said  Shorty,  looking  criti* 
cally  at  the  strip  of  canvas  that  did  duty  for  that  im- 
portant adjunct.  "Muslin  looks  shiftless,  an',  besides,  I 
think  it's  unhealthy.  Lets  in  drafts,  an'  will  give  us 
colds." 

"Too  bad  about  our  ketchln'  cold,"  said  Si  sardonically, 
"Most  o'  the  time  lately  we've  bin  sleepin'  out  with 
nothin'  around  us  but  the  State  line  o'  Tennessee." 

"Don't  be  too  flip,  young  man,"  said  Shorty  severely. 
"You  have  not  had  a  home  with  its  bles sin's  long  enough 
to  appreciate  it.  I  say  we  must  hare  a  real  door  an'  a 
winder  that'll  let  in  light,  an'  a  bedstead,  an'  a  floor  o' 
flanks." 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


"We  ought  to  have  'em,  certainly/'  agreed  Si.  "But 
must  have  'em  is  quite  another  thing.  How  are  we  goin' 
to  git  'em.  There's  40,000  men  around  here,  snatchin'  at 
every  piece  o'  plank  as  big  as  your  hand." 

"Well,"  retorted  Shorty,  "we're  goin'  to  have  a  real 
door,  a  winder,  and  a  plank  floor,  all  the  same.  They're 
to  be  had  somewhere  in  this  country,  an'  they'll  have  to 
run  mighty  hard  to  git  away  from  us." 

The  next  morning  the  Orderly-Sergeant  said: 

"Corp'l  Klegg,  you'll  take  five  men,  go  down  to  the  rail- 
road, and  report  to  the  Commissary  to  load  the  wagon 
with  rations." 

Si  took  Shorty  and  four  others  and  started  off  on  this 
errand.  He  was  soon  so  busy  rolling  heavy  pork  barrels 
from  the  car  into  the  wagon  that  he  failed  to  notice  that 
Shorty  was  not  with  him.  Finally  they  got  the  wagon 
loaded  and  started,  with  them  walking  alongside,  puffing 
and  sweating  from  their  vigorour  labor. 

They  were  not  100  yards  away  from  the  train,  when 
the  Conductor  came  storming  up: 

"See  here,  Lieutenant,"  he  said  to  the  Commissary, 
"some  o'  them  men  o'  yours  sneaked  around  and  stole 
the  hind  door  off  my  caboose  while  you  was  loading  up." 

"I  don't  believe  a  word  of  it,"  said  the  Commissary, 
firing  up  at  once.  "Mine  ain't  that  kind  of  men  I'd 
have  you  know  they  don't  steal.  What  reason  have  you 
for  saying  so?" 

"The  door  was  on  the  car  when  I  came  out  to  meet  you, 
and  now  it's  gone,  and  there's  been  nobody  near  the 
caboose  but  your  men." 

"I  know  my  men  were  working  hard  all  the  time  right 
under  my  eyes,"  said  the  Lieutenant,  growing  angrier 
every  minute.  "They're  not  the  men  to  steal  anything, 
and  if  they  were  they  didn't  have  any  chance.  They 
were  too  busy.  You  can  satisfy  yourself  that  they  didn't. 


"HOOSIER'S  EEST." 


117 


You  see  none  of  tliem  have  the  door  witli  tliem^  and  you 
can  search  the  wagon.    Get  right  in  there  and  look  for 


It.' 


SHORTY  CCfelSCATES  THE  CABOOSE  DOOR. 


The  Conductor  climbed  into  the  wagon  and  looked 
carefully  through. 

*^No,  it's  not  there/'  he  said  ruefully. 

Then  the  Commissary's  wrath  flamed  out.  'There, 
confound  yoU;  you  are  at  it  again,  you  infernal  cirilian, 


118 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


slandering  and  abusing  men  who  are  fighting  for  their 
country.  Charging  them  with  stealing  your  old  caboose 
door.  Think  of  your  disgraceful  impudence,  villifying 
men  w^ho  are  shedding  their  blood  for  their  country  by 
such  shameless  charges.  What'd  they  Avant  with  your 
old  car  door?  Get  away  from  here,  before  I  lose  my 
temper  and  do  you  damage." 

The  Conductor  walked  away  muttering: 

''Blasted  thieving  whelps  o'  soldiers,  w^iat'll  they  steal 
next?  Lost  all  my  train  tools  at  Lavergne,  swiped  the 
bedding  at  Smyrna,  got  away  with  our  clothes  and  dishes 
at  Antioch,  stole  stove  and  lanterns  at  OveralPs  Crick, 
and  now  they've  begun  on  the  cars.  I'll  be  lucky  to 
have  enough  w^heels  left  on  the  engine  to  run  her  back  to 
Nashville." 

The  Commissary  continued  to  fume  about  the  disgrace- 
ful charges  brought  against  his  men  until  they  reached 
camp.  The  wagon  was  unloaded  and  the  squad  dis- 
missed. 

As  Si  came  up  to  the  "house"  Jie  saw  Shorty  busily  en- 
gaged  in  hanging  the  caboose  door  by  means  of  hinges 
which  he  had  improvised  from  some  boot  tops. 

"Why,  Shorty,"  gasped  Si,  "how^  did  you  git  away  with 
it?" 

"Easy  enough,"  answered  his  partner.  "I  saw  you  fel- 
lers gittin'  very  busy  over  them  pork  barrels,  an'  all  ihe 
train  hands  helpin'  you.  I  meandered  back  to  the  ca- 
boose, gently  lifted  the  back  door  offen  its  hinges,  slip- 
ped down  into  the  weeds  in  the  ditch  an'  kept  under 
cover  o'  them  till  I  was  out  o'  sight.  Say,  isn't  it  just  a 
bully  door?" 

That  afternoon  Si  and  Shorty  walked  over  to  w^here  a 
detail  of  men  were  at  work  building  a  bridge  across  Stone 
River,  under  the  direction  of  a  Lieutenant  of  Pioneers. 
They  had  an  idea  that  an  opportunitv  might  occur  there 


"HOOSIER'S  REST." 


119 


to  pick  up  something  that  would  add  to  their  home  com- 
forts. The  Lieutenant  was  bustling  about;  hurrying  the 
completion  of  the  work  before  night.  As  the  detail  was 
made  up  of  squads  from  various  regiments,  he  ^vas  not 
acquainted  with  the  men,  and  had  much  difficulty  in 
assigning  them  to  the  Avork  that  Avould  suit  them  best. 
He  came  up  to  Si,  who  still  wore  the  artillery  Sergeant's 
overcoat  he  had  picked  up  during  the  battle,  and  said 
sharply : 

^'Here,  Sergeant,  don't  stand  around  doing  nothing. 
Set  the  men  a  good  exaniiDle  by  pitching  in  lively.  There's 
plenty  to  do  for  everybody.  If  you  can't  find  anything 
else,  help  dig  down  that  bank,  and  roll  those  big  stones 
into  the  fill.  Hold  on;  I've  thought  of  something  else.  I 
want  a  reliable  man  to  send  over  for  some  lumber.  Put 
one  of  your  men  on  that  wagon  there,  and  go  with  him, 
and  take  this  letter  to  Capt.  Billings,  over  at  the  saw- 
mill. It's  a  requisition  for  a  lead  of  lumber.  Avoid  the 
camps  as  much  as  possible  on  your  way  back,  or  they'll 
steal  every  inch  away  from  you." 

"Very  good,  sir,"  said  Si,  saluting.  "Shorty,  jump  on 
the  w^agon  there,  and  geihcr  up  the  lines." 

Shorty  very  obediently  tcok  his  ]:)lace  on  the  seat  of 
the  two-horse  wagon  employed  by  the  Pioneers  for  their 
jobs. 

''Hurry  up,"  enjoined  the  Lieutenant;  "we  need  those 
boards  at  once."  /  ^ 

"Very  good,  sir,"  replied  Si,  saluting. 

"This  is  what  I  call  a  puddin',  said  Shorty,  oracularly, 
as  they  drove  away.  "The  Lord  always  kin  be  trusted 
to  help  the  deservin',  if  the  deservin'  only  keep  their  eyes 
peeled  for  flis  p'inters.  This  comes  from  not  workin' 
yesterday  and  goin'  to  church." 

Tkey  drove  down  to  the  sawmill,  delivered  their  re- 
%^Jsation,  and  had  their  wagon  loaded  with  newly- sawn 


120 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


plank.  The  Captain  had  the  planks  carefully  counted, 
the  number  and  feet  entered  upon  his  record,  and  set 
forth  upon  the  return  which  he  gave  Si  to  be  delivered  to 
the  Lieutenant  of  Pioneers. 

"Too  dod-gasted  much  bookkeepin'  in  this  army,"  re- 
marked Si,  rather  disconsolately,  and  he  put  the  paper 
in  his  blouse  pocket,  and  they  drove  away.  "Wastes  en- 
tirely too  much  valuable  time.  What'd  he  count  them 
boards  for?  Looked  like  he  suspicioned  us.  How  are 
we  going  to  git  aAvay  with  any  o'  them?" 

"I  wouldn't  have  that  man's  suspicious  mind  for  any- 
thing," answered  Shorty.  "He  don't  trust  nobody.  All 
the  same,  we're  goin'  to  have  enough  boards  for  our 
floor." 

"How  are  we  goin'  to  manage  it?"  asked  Si. 

'Lots  o'  ways.  There's  no  need  o'  your  carryin'  that 
paper  back  to  the  Lootenant.  I  might  pick  up  several 
hundred  feet  and  sneak  away  without  your  knowin'  it. 
Say" — as  a  bright  idea  struck  him — "what's  the  use  o' 
goin'  back  to  the  Lootenant  at  all?  Neither  of  us  be- 
longs to  his  dv%tail.  He  don't  know  us  from  a  side  o' 
sole-leather.  What's  the  matter  with  drivin'  the  wagon 
right  up  to  camp^  and  swipin'  the  whole  business,  horses, 
wagon  and  all?"  .        /  * 

"I  haint  been  in  the  army  as  long  as  you  have.  Shorty, 
said  Si  doubtfully.  'T've  made  some  progress  in  petty 
larceny,  as  you  know,  but  I  aint  yit  quite  up  to  stealin' 
a  span  o'  horses  and  a  wagon.  Mebbe  I'll  come  to  it  in 
time,  but  I  aint  quite  ready  for  it  now." 

"That  comes  from  goin'  to  church  yesterday,  and 
hearin'  the  Chaplain  read  the  Ten  Commandments," 
said  Shorty  wrathfully.  "I  don't  believe  they  ought  to 
allow  the  Chaplains  to  read  them  things.  They  aint 
suited  to  army  life,  and  there  ought  to  be  a  general  order 
that  they're  prejudicial  to  good  order  and  military  disci- 


"HOOSIER^'S  EEST. 


121 


pline.  T\Tiere'cl  tlie  army  be  if  tliev  obeyed  tliat  one  about 
not  covetin''  a  horse  or  other  inoA'ablc  property?  I  tell 
you  what  we'll  do,  since  your  so  milky  on  the  thing: 
AVe'll  drive  up  in  front  of  our  house,  unload  enough 
boards  for  our  floor,  a'ou  git  out  your  gun  and  bayonet^' 
and  stand  guard  over  'em,  and  I'll  drive  the  wagon  dowD 
near  the  bridge,  and  jump  off  and  leave  it." 

"All  right."  said  Si:  "that'll  do  splendidly,  if  you  think 
you  kin  dodge  the  Lcotenant.'' 

"0,  he  be  darned,"  said  Shorty  scornfully.  "I  could 
git  away  from  liim  if  I  wasn't  10  \'ears  old." 

They  carried  out  the  plan.  They  drove  up  in  front  of 
their  residence,  ai:d  threw  off  a  liberal  quantity  of  the 
boards.  The  other  boys  raised  a  yell,  and  made  a  break 
for  thein.  Eut  Si  ran  inside,  get  his  gun  and  estab- 
lished himself  on  guard. 

"Don't  you  budge  an  inch  from  (here  till  I  git  back," 
shouted  Shorty,  as  he  drove  away.  "Don't  let  one  of 
Co.  Q  lay  a  finger  on  them.  They're  tl:e  duriicdest  thieves 
outside  the  Jeffersonville  Penitentiary.  You  can't  trust 
one  o'  them  farther  than  you  could  slim:  a  bull  by  the 
tail,    ril  be  back  soon." 

Shorty  drove  gaily  do ven  until  l:c  get  close  to  the  bridge. 
The  Lieutenant  had  been  impatiently  expectir.g  him, 
and  as  soon  as  tlie  wagon  came  up  ii  Avas  surrounded  by 
a  crowd  of  men  to  unload  it.  The  Lieutenant  looked  over 
the  load. 

'T  wonder  if  he^  sent  ci:ongh.  Let  n:e  see  your  return," 
he  said,  looking  up  at  the  seat,  where  he  expected  to 
find  the  Sergeant  he  had  put  in  charge.  But  the  seat 
was  empty.  Shorty  had  jumped  down,  prudently  mingled 
with  the  crowd,  avoided  the  Lieutenant's  eye  with  much 
more  than  his  usual  diffidence,  and  was  modestly  mak- 
ing his  way  back  to  camp  behind  a  thicket  of  hazel 
bushes.  When  he  got  back  to  the  house  he  was  de- 


122^ 


SI   KLEGG   AND  ,  SHORTY. 


lighted  to  find  Si  still  master  of  the  situation,  with  all 
the  boards  present  and  accounted  for.  They  quickly 
transferred  them  to  the  interior,  and  found  that  they  had 
enough  for  a  nice  floor,  besides  a  couple  of  extra  ones,  to 
cut  up  into  a  table  and  stools. 


SI  DEFENDED  THE  PLUNDER. 


'**You  done  good  work  in  keepin'  the  other  boys  offen 
'em.  Si,''  said  he.  "I  was  afraid  you  wouldn't.  The 
only  thing  I've  got  agin  Co.  Q  is  that  the  boys  will  steaL 
Otherwise  they're  the  nicest  kind  o'  boys." 

A  couple  of  days  later  they  got  a  pass  to  go  down  to 
Murfreesboro  and  look  the  sleepy  old  town  over.  They 
were  particularly  interested  in  the  quaint  old  courthouse, 


"nOOSIER'S  REST." 


123 


wlilch  had  once  heen  the  capitol  of  Tennessee.  They 
happened  into  on  of  the  offices,  which  was  entirely  de- 
sorted.  On  the  wall  hung  a  steel  engraving  of  Jeff  Davis 
in  a  large  oak  frame. 

"That  blamed  old  rebel  picture  oughtn't  to  be  hangin' 
there.  Si/'  observed  Shorty. 

"Indeed  it  oughtn't.  Jeff  ought  to  be  hung  to  a  sour- 
apple  tree,  and  that  glass'd  make  a  nice  winder  for  our 
house." 

"Indeed  it  would,"  Shorty  started  to  answer,  but  time 
was  too  precious  to  waste  in  speech.  In  an  instant  he 
had  shoved  an  old  desk  up  to  the  wall,  mounted  it  and 
handed  the  picture  down  to  Si.  They  wrapped  it  up  in 
their  overcoats,  and  started  back  for  camp.  They  had 
seen  enough  of  Murfreesboro'  for  that  day. 


124 


SI   KLEGa   AND  SHORTY. 


CHAPTER    XIII. , 

SI  AND  SHORTY  CHRISTEN  THEIR  PLACE  ''HOOSIER'S  REST,''^ 
AND  GIVE  A  HOUSE-WARMING. 

Witli  a  tin  root,  a  real  door,  a  glazed  window  and  a 
plank  floor,  Si  and  Shorty's  house  was  by  far  the  most 
aristocratic  in  the  cantonment  of  the  200th  Ind.,  if  not 
in  the  entire  Winter  quarters  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumber- 
land. A  marble  mansion,  with  all  the  modern  improve- 
ments, could  not  more  proudly  overshadow  all  its  neigh- 
bors than  it  did. 

Even  the  Colonel's  was  no  comparison  to  it.  A  tent- 
fly  had  been  made  to  do  duty  for  a  roof  at  the  Colonel's. 
It  could  not  be  stretched  evenly  and  tight.  It  would  per- 
sistently sag  down  in  spots,  and  each  of  these  spots  be- 
came a  reservoir  from  which  would  descend  an  icy  stream. 
A  blanket  had  to  serve  as  a  door,  and  the  best  substitute 
for  window  glass  were  Commissary  blanks  greased  with 
fat  from  headquarters  frying-pan.  The  floor,  instead  of 
being  of  clean,  new  plank,  as  Si's  and  Shorty's,  was  made 
of  the  warped  and  weather-beaten  boards  of  a  stable, 
which  had  been  torn  down  by  a  fatigue  detail. 

Si  and  Shorty  took  as  much  pride  and  pleasure  in  their 
architecture  as  any  nabob  over  his  million-dollar  villa. 
They  were  constantly  on  the  alert  for  anything  that 
would  add  to  the  comfort  and  luxury  of  their  home.  In 
their  wanderings  they  chanced  to  come  across  an  old- 
fashioned  bedstead  in  an  outhouse.  It  was  of  the  kind 
in  which  the  rails  screw  together,  and  the  bed  is  held  up 
by  a  strong  cord  crossing  and  recrossing  from  one  rail  to 
another.  This  looked  like  real  luxury,  and  they  at  once 
appropriated  it  without  any  consultation  with  the  owner, 
whoever  he  may  have  been.  - 


SI  AND  SHORTY  GITE  A  HOUSE WAPvMIxa  125 


"It'd  l:e  a  waste  o'  time,  anvliow,"  remarked  Shorty. 
*^He's  a  rebel,  and  probably  over  there  in  Bragg's  army." 

They  made  a  tick  out  of  the  piece  of  wagon-cover, 
filled  it  with  beech  leaves,  and  had  a  bed  v\'hich  sur- 
passed their  most  extravagant  ideas  of  comfort  in  the 
army. 

"Shorty,"  said  Si,  as  they  snugged  themselves  m  the 
fijst  night,  "this  seems  almost  too  much.  Do  you  ever 
remember  settin'  the  whole  night  on  a  rail,  with  nothin' 
over  us  but  clouds  leakin'  ice-water?" 

"Shut  up,"  said  Shorty,  giving  him  a  kick  under  the 
blankets.    "Do  you  want  me  to  have  a  nightmare?" 

They  got  a  number  of  fiat  stones,  and  laid  down  a 
little  pavement  in  front  of  their  door,  and  drove  an  old 
bayonet  into  the  logs  to  serve  as  a  scraper.  They  rigor- 
ously insisted  on  every  visitor  using  this  before  entering. 

"For  common  Wabash-bottom  fly-up-the-cricks  and 
private  soljers,  you're  puttin'  on  entirely  too  many  frills," 
said  Sol  Murbury,  the  Wagonmaster,  angrily,  as  it  was 
firmly  insisted  upon  that  he  stay  outside  until  he  care- 
fully cleaned  his  shoes  on  the  bayonet.  "A  man  that's 
afraid  o'  mud  haint  no  business  in  the  army.  He  orter 
stay  at  home  an'  wear  Congress  gaiters  an'  pantalets. 
You're  puttin'  on  entirely  too  many  scollops,  I  tell  you. 
You  knowed  all  'bout  mud  in  the  Wabash  bottoms.  You 
had  'nuff  of  it  there,  the  Lord  knows." 

"Yes,  we  had,"  replied  Shorty;  "but  we  was  too  well 
raised  to  track  any  of  it  into  anybody's  parlor." 

"Parlor,"  echoed  Sol,  with  a  horse-laugh.  "Lord,  how 
fine  we  are,  just  bekaze  one  o'  us  happens  to  be  a 
measly  little  Corporal.  Li  some  armies  the  Wagonmas- 
ters  have  Corporals  to  wait  on  'em,  an'  black  their  boots. 
Now,  I'll  tell  yo'  what  I've  come  for.  I've  lost  my  scoop- 
chovel,  an'  I've  bin  told  that  you  fellers  stole  it,  an'  are 
usin'  it  to  bake  hoe-cakes  on.     I've  come  up  here  to  see 


126 


SI   KLEGG   AKD  SHORTY. 


if  youVe  got  it,  an'  I'm  goin'  right  in  there  to  see  for  my* 
self,  mud  or  no  mud." 

"We  hain't  got  your  blamed  old  scoop-shovel;  you  can't 
git  it;  you  ain't  goin'  in  there  until  you  clean  your  feet, 
an'  not  then  onless  we  conclude  to  allow  you,"  Shorty 
replied. 

"I'm  goin'  in  there,  or  break  some  Wabash  loon's  neck," 
said  the  Wagonmaster  wrathfuHy. 

"I  always  did  like  to  get  a  chance  to  lick  a  mule- 
whacker,"  said  Si,  pulling  off  his  overcoat.  "And  the 
bigger  and  the  more  consequential  he  is,  the  better. 
I've  never  licked  a  Wagonmaster  yit,  an'  I'm  just  achin' 
for  a  chance." 

The  Wagonmaster  was  the  bully  of  the  regiment,  as 
Wagonmasters  generally  are.  When  Si  came  into  the 
regiment,  a  green  cub,  just  getting  his  growth,  and  afraid 
of  everybody  who  assumed  a  little  authority  and  had 
more  knowledge  of  the  world  than  he,  the  Wagonmaster 
had  been  very  overbearing,  and  at  times  abusive.  That 
is  the  way  of  Wagonmasters  and  their  ilk.  The  remem- 
brance  of  this  rankled  in  Si's  mind. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Wagonmaster  failed  to  compre- 
hend the  change  that  a  few  months  of  such  service  as 
the  200th  Ind.'s  wrought  in  verdant,  bashful  boys  like  Si. 
He  thought  he  could  cow  him  as  easily  as  he  did  when 
Si  had  timidly  ventured  to  ask  His  Greatness  a  modest 
question  or  two  as  they  were  crossing  the  Ohio  River. 
Wagonmasters  were  always  making  just  that  kind  of 
mistakes. 

The  other  boys  ran  up  to  see  the  fun.  The  Wagon- 
master made  a  rush  at  Si  with  doubled  fists,  but  Si 
quickly  stepped  to  one  side,  and  gave  the  hulking  fellow 
a  tap  on  the  butt  of  his  ear  that  laid  him  over  in  the 
mud.   The  other  boys  yelled  with  delight.   Next  to  a 


SI  AND  SHORTY  GIVE  A  HOUSEWARMIXG.  127 


Sutler,  or  a  conceitedj  fresh  voiing  Aid,  the  soldiers  al- 
ways delighted  to  see  a  Wagoiimaster  get  into  trouble. 

The  Wagonmaster  sprang  up,  ready  for  another  round; 
but  the  boys  raised  the  cry  that  the  Officer  of  the  Day 
was  coming,  and  both  Si  and  the  Wagonmaster  re- 
membered that  they  had  business  in  other  parts  of  the 
camp. 


SI  FLOORS  THE  WAGONMASTER. 

The  next  day  Shorty  said:  ''It's  all  right.  Si;  w© 
could've  kept  that  scoop-shovel  as  long  as  we  wanted  to, 
but  I  thought  that  for  many  reasons  it'd  better  be  got  out 
of  the  regiment,  so  I've  traded  it  to  them  Maumee  Musk- 
rats  for  a  Dutch  oven  they'd  borrowed  from  their  Major." 

"Bully,"  answered  Si.  "I'd  much  rather  have  the 
Dutch  oyeQi|anj^way."^^" 


128 


EI    IvLEGG    AND  SriOr.TY. 


Si  proJuccd  a  piece  of  boards,  wbicli  liad  Lecn  painted 
wliitCj  and  evidently  done  duty  as  part  of  the  door  of  a, 
house  in  Murfreesbcro',  looked  at  it  critically,  and  then 
selected  a  piece  of  charcoal  frcm  the  fire,  and  sat  down 
with  an  air  of  studious  purpose. 

"What  are  you  up  to  now,  Si?"  asked  Shorty  curiously. 

''Why,"  explained  Si,  "I've  noticed,  whenever  we've, 
bin  in  any  big  place,  that  all  the  fine  houses  have  signs 
or  numbers,  or  something  else  onto  'cm,  to  name  'em. 
I've  bin  thinkin'  o'  something  for  our  house.    How  does 
'Iloosier's  Eest'  strike  you  for  a  name?"' 

'•'Splendid,"  said  Shorty.    "Couldn't  be  better." 

"And,"  continued  Si,  "I've  got  this  board  to  iiiake  a 
sign  to  nail  up  over  the  door.  Do  you  know  how  to  spell 
Bcosier,  Shorty?" 

"Blest  if  I  do,"  answered  Shorty.  "It  wasn't  in  our 
book.  At  least,  we  never  got  to  it,  if  it  was.  You  see, 
our  spellin'-school  broke  up  just  as  we  got  to  ^incom- 
patible.' The  teacher  got  too  fond  o'  Nancy  Billings, 
that  I  was  castin'  sheep's  eyes  at  myself.  He  got  to 
givin'  her  easy  words,  to  keep  her  at  the  head  o'  the 
class,  and  pickin'  hard  ones  for  me,  to  send  me  to  the 
foot,  where  I'd  be  fur  away  from  her.  I  wouldn't  stand  it 
always,  so  me  an'  him  had  it  out  one  night  before  all  the 
scholars;  I  got  away  with  him,  and  he  left  the  country, 
and  busted  up  the  school." 

"Iloosicr,"  repeated  Si  to  himself.  "I  never  saw  it 
spelled.  But  there  must  be  some  way  to  spell  it.  Let 
me  see:  W-h-o  spells  Svho.'" 

"That's  so,"  assented  Shorty. 

"I-s  spells  'is,'"  continued  Si.  "AVho-is— that's  right  so 
far.  H-e-r-e  spells  'here.'  'Who-is-here?'  That  seems 
almost  right,  don't  it.  Shorty?" 

"It  certainly  does,"  replied  Shorty,  scratching  his  head 
to  accelerate  his  mental  action.    "Or  it  might  be,  Si, 


SI  AND  SHORTY  GIVE  A  HOUSEW ARMING. 


129 


w-h-o^  wlio;  i-s^  is;  and  y-e-r,  yer.  You  know  some  igno- 
rant folks  say  yer  for  you.  And  they  say  the  name 
came  from  the  people  who  first  settled  in  Injianny  sayin' 
^Who's  yer?'  to  any  neAv-comer.*' 

"I  believe  you're  right,  Shorty,"  said  Si,  bending  over 
{he  board  with  the  charcoal  to  begin  the  work.  "We'll 
make  it  that  way,  anyway." 

The  next  day  passers-by  saw  a  white  board  nailed  up 
over  the  door,  which  contained  a  charcoal  sketch  of  a 
soldier  seated  on  a  chunk  of  wood,  with  a  pipe  in  his 
mouth,  taking  as  much  ease  as  Si  could  throw  into  the 
outlines  of  his  face  and  body,  and  with  it  was  this  legend: 

"WHO  IS.  YER'S  REST." 

The  next  idea  that  came  into  the  partners'  minds  was 
that  the  requirements  of  society  demanded  that  they  give 
a  housewarming  in  their  sumptuous  abode.  They  at 
once  set  about  making  it  a  memorable  social  event. 

While  out  with  a  wagon  after  forage  they  found  an 
Indiana  man  who  had  settled  in  that  country.  He  had  a 
good  orchard.  They  bought  from  him  a  barrel  of  pretty 
hard  cider  and  several  bushels  of  apples.  His  wife  knew 
how  to  make  fried  doughnuts  of  the  real  Indiana  indiges- 
tibility.  They  would  be  luxuries  for  the  boys,  and  a 
half-bushel  were  contracted  for.  The  farmer  was  to 
bring  them  all  in  his  wagon,  and  Si  and  Sh^y 
meet  him  at  the  pickets  and  guard  the  treasures  to  thei* 
abode. 

They  bought  a  little  bale  of  fragrant  Kinnikinnick  to- 
bacco from  the  sutler,  made  a  sufficiency  of  corn- cob 
pipes,  swept  off  the  ground  in  front  of  their  house,  which, 
as  there  had  been  no  rain  for  several  days,  was  in  good 
condition,  with  brooms  of  brush,  that  it  might  serve  for  a 
dancing-floor;  gathered  in  a  stock  of  pitch-pine  knots  for 
3  0 


130  BI  KiE^a  AND  SSORTY. 

their  lirfc,  spoke  to  Bunty  Jim  to  bring  his  fiddle  along, 
and  to  Uiicle  Sassafras,  the  Colonel's  cook,  to  eonie  down 
with  his  banjo,  and  their  preparations  were  campleted. 

It"  was  a  crisp,  delightful  Winter  evening)  with  the  moon 
at  full  J  the  fire  burning  brightly,  and  everybody  in  the 
best  of  spirits.    The  awful  week  of  marchirig,  enduring 


*'S:oaSIER'S  REST." 


and  suffering;  of  terrific  fighting,  limitless  bloodshed;  of 
woiinas  and  death  to  one  out  of  every  fouT  iiiisn  in  the 
ranks;  of  nerve- cracking  anxieties  to  alT  might  as  well 
have  been  centuries  ago,  for  any  sign  that  appeared  on 
the  bright^  animated  faces  of  the  young  men  who  gathered 


SI  AND  SHOETY  GIVE  A  HOUSEWARMIXa  131 


in  front  of  the  cabin.  They  smoked,  danced  old-fashioned 
country  dances  to  the  music  of  the  fiddle  and  the  banjo, 
and  sang  songs  which  lamented  the  death  of  ^'Lily 
Dale,"  mourned  that  "My  Nelly  was  sleeping  in  the 
Hazel  Dell,"  adjured  the  "Silver  Moon"  to  "roll  on,"  and 
so  on  through  the  whole  repertoire  of  the  sentimental 
ballads  of  that  day. 

Then  they  were  invited  into  the  house  to  inspect  its 
complete,  luxurious  appointments,  and  feast  themselves 
to  bursting  on  apples,  hard  cider,  and  doughnuts  that 
would  have  tried  any  stomach  but  a  young  soldier's. 

Billy  Gurney,  who  had  been  back  to  Nashville  as  one 
of  the  guard  to  a  train-load  of  wounded,  was  induced  to 
favor  the  company  with  the  newest  song,  which  had  just 
reached  that  city.  He  cleared  his  throat  with  another 
tincupful  of  cider,  and  started  off  wath: 

"When  this  cruel  war  is  over." 

Rapturous  applause  followed  the  first  verse,  and  Billy 
started  in  to  teach  them  the  chorus,  so  they  could  all 
join. 

A  loud  explosion  came  from  the  fireplace,  a  camp- 
kettle  full  of  cider  that  was  being  mulled  by  the  fire  was 
splattered  over  the  company,  scalding  som^e  of  item 
severely;  stones  from  the  fireplace  and  bullets  flew  about 
the  room.  They  all  rushed  out.  Footsteps  could  be 
heard  running  in  the  distance.  They  looked  in  that 
direction,  and  recognized  Sol  Murbury's  broad  back  and 
bushy  head. 

"That  blamed  Wagonmaster  dropped  a  nosebag  with  a 
lot  o'  cartridges  in  it  down  the  chimbly,"  said  Shorty, 
who  had  made  an  inspection  of  the  fireplace.  "Mad  be- 
cause he  wasn't  invited.  You  bet;  I'll  salivate  him  well 
for  that  little  trick."  .    .  , 


132 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


CHAPTiEE  XIV. 

SI'S  FATHER  COMES  DOWN  TO  THE  CAMP  OF  THE  200Tn  IND. 
ON  AN  UNEXPECTED  VISIT. 

"Mother,"  said  Mr.  Josiah  Klegg,  sr.,  suddenly  laying 
down  ih-Q  County  pa,per,  and  beginning  to  polish  his 
spectacles  with  his  red  bandanna,  "do  you  know  what 
I've  the  greatest  mind  in  the  world  to  do?" 

It  was  an  evening  in  February,  1863,  and  the  family 
had  been  sitting  for  some  hours  after  supper  around  the 
bright  fire,  engaged  in  vaxious  occupations. 

"No,  father,"  said  Mrs.  Klegg,  looking  up  from  her 
knittii^g  with  such  interest  that  she  dropped  several 
stitches.  The  girls  stopped  their  sewing,  and  turned  ex- 
pectant eyes  on  their  father.  When  Mr.  Josiah  Klegg, 
sr.,  announced  that  he  had  a  great  mind  to  do  anything, 
that  thing  stood  in  imminent  danger  of  being  done.  He 
was  not  given  to  visionary  schemes,  still  less  to  idle 
speech.  He  thought  slowly  and  doggedly,  but  when  he 
"Hhs!  arrived  at  a  conclusion  there  were  200  pounds  of 
s'oiiti,  stubborn,  unchangeable  Indiana  farmer  behind  the 
conclusion. 

"What  is  it,  father?"  asked  Mrs.  Klegg,  making  an 
automatic  effort  to  gather  up  her  lost  stitches. 

^^I've  a  good  mind  to  go  down  to  Murfreesboro  and  see 
Si,"  responded  the  father.  ; 

"Why,  father!"  gasped  the  three  "wimmen  folks." 

"Go  down  there  among  them  gorillas?"  ejaculated  Mrs. 
Klegg. 

"And  John  Morgan  raiders,"  echoed  Maria. 
"And  Secesh  soljers,  butternut  brigands,  rebel  rascals," 
added  'Tilda     ^  .  „  . 


SI'S  FATHER  COMES  TO  THE  CAMP. 


183 


''T^'ell;*'  answered  Mr.  Ivleffg.  deliloerately,  '^tlieyVe 
been  peggin'  away  at  Si  for  a  good  many  months  now, 
and  they  haven't  killed  him  by  a  jug  full.  Guess  1  kin 
stand  'em  for  a  few  days.  The  papers  say  that  the 
army's  settled  down  at  Mtu'freesboro  for  the  Winter,  and 
that  the  railroad's  runnin"  all  right  from  Looyiyille  clean 
there.  I  kin  do  nothin'  'round  the  farm  for  the  next 
three  or  four  weeks,  till  Spring  opens,  except  the  chores 
about  the  house,  which  little  Jimmie  WatHns  kin  tend 
to  as  well  as  I  kin.  I've  got  all  my  fences  in  good  shape, 
and  split  all  the  rails  I  need.  There's  wood' enough  cut 
to  last  the  Winter  out.  I've  hauled  all  the  wheat  to 
town  I'm  goin'  to  till  prices  go  higher.  I  finished  gittin^ 
out  my  clover  seed  yesterday,  and  now  there's  nothin' 
left  for  a  month  but  to  do  boy's  work  round  the  house,  or 
talk  politics  down  at  the  store.  I'd  rather  go  down  and 
see  Si." 

"Why.  father,"  remonstrated  Mrs.  Klegg,  "^ow  kin  yoti 
ever  git  along  in  them  camps,  and  live  the  way  them 
solj'ers  do?" 

"You  forgit,"  said  her  husband,  with  a  toticli  of  dignity, 
^Hhat  I  druv  team  for  a  whole  week  -in  the  Black  Hawk 
war.  I  wanted  to  enlist,  but  I  was  too  young.  Then  I 
turned  out  and  drilled  with  the  militia  as  long  as  there 
was  any  musters.  I  know  a  good  deal  more  about  war 
than  you  think." 

"How  do  you  s'pose  you'll  ever  ilzr^,  in  all  i^at  ruck 
o'  men?''  said  Mrs.  Klegg  dou-btuiLlv. 

"0,  they  all  know  Si  by  this  time,"  returned  the  fatli^ 
confidently.  "Besides,  he's  an  officer  now.  I'll  go  right 
to  Gen.  Eosecrans's  Headquarters.  He's  probably  right 
near  him,  where  ]|S  kin  have  him  at  any  time.  But 
don't  write  to  Si  that  I'm  comin'.  I  want  to  stirprise 
him." 

As  soon  as  it  was  seen  that  the  father  was  deter- 


134 


SI   KLEGQ   AND  SHORTY. 


mined  to  go,  mother  and  daughters  entered  upon  the 
scheme  with  the  greatest  enthusiasm. 

Each  began  to  think  of  some  useful  thing  that  they 
eould  send  to  Si  to  add  to  his  comfort.  Mrs.  Klegg  had 
already  knit  a  couple  of  pairs  of  lambs '-wool  socks,  and 
was  at  work  on  a  third.  Maria  had  knit  a  pair  of  mit- 
tens, gay  with  the  National  colors  and  representing  the 
flag.  The  blue  field  with  the  white  stars  was  around  the 
wrists,  while  the  red  and  white  stripes  ran  down  the 
fingers.  When  they  were  put  on  the  effect  was  pictur- 
esque, not  to  say  startling. 

"When  Si  holds  up  his  hands,"  remarked  Matilda, 
"they'll  look  like  big  hollyhock  blossoms,  and  the  men'll 
wonder  where  he  got  posies  in  Winter." 

Matilda  contributed  a  red  flannel  shirt,  upon  w^hich  she 
had  been  engaged  since  the  beginning  of  Winter  reminded 
her  that  such  a  present  would  be  very  acceptable  to  Si. 
She  had  done  a  lot  of  her  finest  stitching  upon  it.  Si's 
initials  were  wrought  in  white  thread  on  the  cuffs,  and 
on  the  bosom  was  a  maze  of  white  |ines  representing 
hearts,  anchors,  roses,  and  flags  of  the  Union.  In  the 
center  of  these,  in  letters  of  bold  outline  but  rugged  exe- 
cution, was  the  legend:  "Josiah  Klegg.  His  Shirt.  From 
Tildy.'* 

"Eouiid  is  the  ring, 

Tliat  has  no  end; 
So  is  my  l;:v  for  you, 
ZIy  dearest  friend." 

"I  know  it  am't  quite  right  to  speak  of  Si  as  a  friend," 
she  explained,  when  she  spread  the  shirt  out  for  the 
f^nily's  examination  and  admiration;  "but  I  couldn't 
think  of  nothin'  to  rhyme  with  brother.' 


SI'S  FATHER  COMES  TO  THE  CAMP. 


135 


could^"  said  Maria,  in  her  suDerior  way.    ''I'd  said 
somethin' like  this: 

"The  ring's  no  end 
r      ..    ;    J  ,        From  which  to  t'other;  ,  ;  ■ 

-  -  ^  ,  So  is  the  love  I  send  - 

My  oneliest  brother." 

:''Maria,  you  always  was  so  much  smarter'n  me  in 
writin' poetry,"  admitted  Matilda.  "It  would 've  bin  ever 
so  much  nicer.    But  it's  too  late  now  to  do  it  over  agin." 

Annabel  was  sorely  puzzled  what  to  send.  She  wanted 
something  that  would  be  indicative  of  her  feelings  to- 
ward Si,  and  yet  maiden  modesty  restrained  with  the 
fear  of  sending  something  that  might  be  too  significant. 
She  spent  a  sleepless  night  thinking  it  over,  and  finally 
decided  to  send  a  new  ambrotype  of  herself,  with  a  lock 
of  her  hair.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  this  kept  Si  warmer 
than  a  whole  bale  of  flannel  shirts  would  have  done. 

A  thousand  things  occairred  to  the  family  that  Si  would 
enjoy,  from  a  couple'of  feather  pillows  to  a  crock  of  "head 
jheese,"  of  which  Si  used  to  be  immensely  fond.  The 
old  hair  trunk  was  brought  down  from  the  garret,  and  its 
dimensions  ^studied.  But  the  next  evening  Jim  Wil- 
kins,  of  Co.  Q,  who  was  home  patching  up  a  leg  which 
had  caught  a  bullet  at  Stone  River,  came  in,  and  his 
advice  was  asked, 

"No,  sir-ree,"  said  he,  emphatically.  "DonH  you  never 
take  no  trunk  nor  no  box.  Don't  jou  take  nothin'  that 
you  can't  hang  on  to,  and  keep  your  eye  on  every  min- 
ute. I  think  the  Army  o'  the  Cumberland  is  the  most 
honestest  army  in  the  whole  world.  I'd  knock  any  man 
down  in  a  minute  that  hinted  there  was  a  single  thief 
in  it;  All  the  same,  the  only  sure  way  to  keep  any 
thing  you  want  is  to  never  let  go  of  it  for  a  siecond. 
You'd  better  only  take  a  carpetsack,  and  look  mighty 
sharg  aftei  that,  the  nearer  you  git  to  the  aimy,  Keep 


136 


SI   KLEGG    AND  SHORTY. 


one  eye  on  it  all  the  time  after  you  cross  tlie  Ohio  Ri^^er, 
and  both  eyes  on  it  when  you  git  to  Murfreesboro'." 

A  week  later  a  strongly  built,  farmer-looking  man  en- 
tered the  Nashville  train  at  Louisville  and  looked  anxi- 
ously around  among  the  crowd  of  soldiers  with  which  it 


««A  STOUTLY-BUILT.  FAKMER-LOOKING  MAN  ENTERED  THE 

TRAIN." 

was  filled.  His  full,  resolute  face  was  destitute  of  whis- 
kers, except  a  clump  of  sandy  hair  on  his  chin.  He 
w^ore  a  coarse  but  warm  overcoat,  a  black  slouch  hat, 
aiound  his  neck  w^as  a  voluminous  yarn  comforter,  and 
mixtens  oi  the  same  generous  proportions  were  on  his 


SI'S  FATHER  COMES  TO  THE  CAMP. 


137 


Lands,  one  of  which  held  a  bulging  blue  umbrella  and 
the  other  a  large  striped  carpetsack. 

He  found  a  vacant  seat  beside  a  rough-looking  sol- 
dier;  who  had  eA'idently  been  drinking,  placed  his  preci- 
ous carpetsack  between  his  heavy,  well-oiled  boots, 
stuck  his  umbrella  beside  it,  unwound  his  comforter, 
laid  it  back  on  his  shoulders,  took  off  his  mittens,  un- 
buttoned his  overcoat,  and  took  from  his  pocket  a  long 
plug  of  navy  tobacco,  from  which  he  cut  off  a  liberal 
chew  and  then  courteously  tendered  knife  and  plug  to 
his  neighbor,  with  the  remark: 

"Have  a  chaw,  stranger.'* 

The  soldier  took  the  plug,  cut  it  in  two,  put  the  bigger 
part  in  his  own  pocket,  sliced  a  liberal  portion  off  the 
other  for  his  own  mouth,  and  then  rather  reluctantly 
handed  the  remainder,  with  the  knife,  back  to  Mr.  Klegg, 
without  so  much  as  a  "thankee." 

"Manners  seem  a  little  different  in  the  army  from  what 
they  are  in  Injianny,"  thought  Mr.  Klegg;  "but  mebbe  the 
soldier's  not  had  a  chance  to  git  any  terbacker  for  a 
long  time." 

He  chewed  meditatively  for  some  minutes,  and  then 
made  another  friendly  advance  toward  his  seat-partner. 

"S'pose  w^e'll  start  purty  soon,  won't  we,  stranger?" 

"The  devil  you  do,"  responded  the  other  surlily,  and 
sending  over  a  strong  w^hisky  breath.  "Don't  know 
much  about  this  blamed  old  start-when-it-pleases  and 
stop-when^you-don't-want-to  railroad.  We'll  start  w^hen 
some  young  sardine  with  shoulder-straps  finishes  his 
breakfast,  and  stop  when  John  Morgan  tears  up  the 
track.  If  you  didn't  feed  your  hogs  any  better'n  this 
train  runs,  old  Hayseed,  they'd  starve  to  death  in  a 
month." 

"He  ain't  jest  what  you'd  call  perlite,"  thought  Mr, 
Klegg,  as  he  meditatively  chewed  for  a  little  while  longer. 


1S8 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHOETY. 


"Bid  iiiebbe  that's  the  way  in  the  army.  Probably  Si's' 
got  jest  th£it  way  too." 

He  chewed  meditatively  for  a  few  mhiutes  longer.  The 
air  was  getting  very  redolent  of  the  fumes  frcm  his 
neighbor's  breath.  "I  hope  Si  ain't  got  to  drinking  like 
that,"  he  sighed,  as  a  particularly  strong  whiff  reached 
him.  If  he  has,  I  won't  rest  a  minute  till  I've  yanked 
him  up  before  Gen.  Eosecraris  and  made  him  take  the 
r)led<re.  Gen.  Rosecrans  can't  afford  to  have  officers 
around  him  Avho  drink.  'Taint  right  to  trust  men's  lives 
to  'em." 

"Say,  ole  Sorrel-top,"  said  the  soldier,  turning  toward 
him,  "give  us  another  bite  o'  that  terbacker  6'  yours, 
will  you?" 

Mr.  Klegg  did  not  like  the  tone  nor  the  manner,  but  he 
produced  his  tobacco,  and  began  prudently  clipping  off  a 
faix'^  sized  chew  for  his  companion  himself.' 

^'D,  the  devil,  that  ain't  no  chaw, s^id  the  other,  pull- 
ing the  tobacco  and  knife  from  his  hand.  "Don't  be 
stingy  with  your  terbacker,  ole  Hav.buck.  You  kin  git 
plenty  more." 

He  sliced  a  strip  ofi  clear  across  the  plug,  and  stulTed 
it  into  his  mouth.  .  . 

"You  don't  chaw  terbacker.  You  jest  eat  it,"  remon- 
strated the  long- suffering  Mr.  Klegg. 

•Here,  Til  take  some  o'  that,  too,"  said  another  soldier 
on  the  seat  in  front,  snatching  at  the  knife  and  tobacco. 

''No,  you  won't,  you  sardine,"  angrily  responded  the 
first  soldier.  "This  gentleman's  a  friend  o'  mine.  I 
won't  see  him  robbed."  ■ 
^  The  reply  was  a  blow,  and  the  two  were  soon  mixed  up 
in  a  saTage  %ht.  Mr.  Klegg  was  alarmed,  lest  one  of 
them  should  be  hnrt  with  the  heavy,  sharp  knife,  and  he 
mixed  in  to  get  it  in  his  hand.  In  the  scuffle  his  hat, 
mittens  and  comforter  were  thrown  to  the  floor  and 


SrS  FATHER  COMES  TO  THE  CAMP. 


139 


trampled  in  the  tobacco  juice.  The  provost-guard  rushed 
in.  a  stalwart  Sergeant  separated  the  combatants,  jam- 
med the  first  soldier  down  in  the  seat  until  the  timbers 
cracked,  banged  the  other  one's  head  against  the  side  of 
the  car.  and  remarked: 

''Confound  you,  don't  either  o'  you  raise  a  hand  or 
open  your  mouths,  or  I'll  break  both  your  necks.  Old 
man.  you  keep  mighty  quiet,  too.  Hain't  you  got  no 
sense,  to  mix  up  in  such  a  row?  You're  old  enough  to 
knov\-  better.  I'll  snatch  you  off  this  train  if  you  make 
any  more  disturbance." 

Mr.  Klegg's  blood  was  up.  He  wanted  to  thrash  the 
whole  crowd,  including  the  Sergeant,  and  felt  equal  to  it. 
But  the  cry  was  raised  that  the  train  was  going.  The 
Sergeant  hastened  off,  with  a  parting  admonition  to  him 
to  keep  still  if  he  knew  what  was  good  for  him. 

'T'm  afeared  the  army's  a  mi.<jhty  rough  place,"  though 
Mr.  Klegg,  as  he  gathered  up  his  soiled  belongings  and 
tried  to  straighten  them  out.  ^T  wonder  if  it'll  git  wuss 
the  nearer  we  git  to  the  front?" 

The  train  pulled  out  of  Louisville,  and  he  became  in- 
terested in  the  great  banks  of  red  earth,  crowned  with 
surly,  black- mouthed  cannon,  where  the  forts  were,  the 
rows  of  white  tents  in  the  camps,  the  innumerable 
droves  of  horses  and  mules  in  the  corrals,  and  the  long 
trains  of  army  wagons. 

''I'm  goin'  to  stock  up  with  some  horses  when  I  git 
back,"  he  said  to  himself.  ''The  Government  se^?^  to 
need  a  powerful  sight  o'  them,  and  prices  is  goiii'  u^ 
faster'n  wheat." 

Things  had  now  been  tolerably  quiet  in  the  car  for  over 
half  an  hour,  entirely  too  long  for  a  party  of  soldiers  re- 
turning to  the  front.  Monotonous  pe^ce  was  obnoxious 
to  them.    A  two-fisted  j'oung  fellow  up  toward  the  front 


140 


SI  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


rose  up,  drained  the  last  drops  from  a  pint  flask,  dashed 
the  bottle  on  the  floor,  and  yelled : 

"Here's  for  a  quiet  life,  and  peace  and  good  will.  I  be- 
long to  John  F.  Miller's  Brigade,  the  best  brigade  in  the 


CSE  FREE  FIGHT. 


Army  of  the  Cumberland,  and  the  oliTy  one  that  captured 
any  guns  at  Stone  Eiver,  I  can  lick  any  man  in  Mc- 
Cook's  Cbrps." 

The  answering  yell  that  went  up  seemed  to  indicate 
that  nearly  all  in  the  car  belonged  to  McCook's  Corgs. 


SI'S  FATHER  COMES  TO  THE  CAMP.  141 

There  was  a  general  peeling  off  of  overcoats,  and  a  rusk 
forward  of  answerers  to  his  bold-ehallenge.    A  few  yelled, 

*'Hooray  for  Miller's  Brigade!" 

*'Hooray  for  Crittenden's  Corps!" 

"Hooray  for  Pap  Thomas!'* 
and  started  in  to  help  out  the  Miller  man.  Mr.  Klegg  rose 
to  his  feet  in  dismay.  Before  he  could  think  the  soldier 
beside  him  picked  up  the  carpetsack  and  flung  it  at  the 
Miller's  Brigade  man.  Mr.  Klegg  groaned  as  he  thought 
of  the  consequences  to  a  jar  of  honey  and  a  crock  of  but- 
ter, which  Mrs.  Klegg  had  put  in  for  Si's  delectation. 

The  combatants  came  together  with  the  hearty  zeal 
of  men  who  had  been  looking  for  a  fight  for  a  straight 
month.  The  soldier  beside  Mr.  Klegg  snatched  up  the 
umbrella  and  began  laying  about  him.  The  crash  was 
fearful.  The  backs  of  the  seats  were  wrenched  off, 
the  carpetsack  trodden  under  foot,  the  windows  broken 
out,  and  finally  Mr.  Klegg  found  himself  on  the  floor  of 
the  car  under  a  mass  of  struggling,  fighting,  striking  and 
kicking  men. 

The  train  came  to  a  halt  at  a  station.  The  guards  on 
the  platform  rushed  in,  and  by  dint  of  a  vigorous  use  of 
gun- butts  and  other  persuasives,  and  more  strong  langu- 
age than  Mr.  Klegg  had  ever  heard  before  in  aH  his  life, 
succeeded  in  quieting  the  disturbance  and  making  the 
men  take  their  seats.  Mr.  Klegg  recovered  hfs  carpet- 
sack, his  comforter,  mittens,  hat  and  umbrella,  and  sat 
down  again.  He  turned  around  and  glared  at  the  "ti- 
dier by  his  side. 

"If  it  warn't  for  startin'  another  fight,"  he  said  to  him- 
self, "I'd  punch  his  infernal  head." 

But  the  soldier  had  gone  to  sleep;  he  lolled  his  head 
over  on  Mr.  Klegg's  shoulder  and  snored  louSxy. 

For  two  or  three  hours  afterward  the  train  rattled  along 
without  particular  incident,   Mr«  Klegg  recovered  his 


142 


BI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


composure,  and  got  very  much  interested  in  tlie  country 
through  which  they  were  passing,  and  its  farming  possi- 
bilities. These  did  not  strike  him  favorably,  and  he  was 
more  than  ever  convinced  that  the  Wabash  Valley  was 
the  garden  spot  of  the  w^orld.  Finally,  the  train  stopped 
and  backed  on  to  a  switch  to  allow  another  to  pass. 

An  enterprising  man  had  put  up  a  shanty  near  the 
track,  with  a  long  shelf  in  front,  upon  which  were  dis- 
played sandwiches,  pies,  boiled  eggs,  and  other  eatables. 
The  men  all  rushed  out  of  the  car.  Mr.  Klcgg  had  begun 
to  feel  hungry  himself,  and  joined  them, 

*'How  much  for  that  pie,"  he  asked,  pointing  io  one. 

*'Half- a- dollar,"  answered  the  keeper.  "Fifty  cents  for 
pies,  25  cents  for  sandwiches,  10  cents  for  a  cup  of 
coiJee." 

*'Too  blamed  much,"  shouted  a  chorus  of  v»'Iccs.  '\\n 
infernal  pirate  come  down  here  to  bk'ni  i!.e  boIJiVrs. 
Let's  clean  him  out." 

Before  Mr.  Klegg  fairly  vmderstood  the  words  every- 
thnig  was  snatched  up.  Those  who  did  not  get  hold  of 
any  of  the  viands  began  on  the  shed.  It  was  torn  to 
pieces,  the  stove  kicked  over,  the  coffee  spilled  on  the 
ground,  and  the  eating-house  keeper  and  his  assistants 
«f.uttled  awav  out  of  danger.  The  whistle  sounded,  they 
all  rushed  back  into  the  cars,  and  Mr.  Klegg  had  to  stay 
his  hunger  with  another  chew  of  tobacco. 

Again  there  was  tolerable  peace  for  severr'J  hours, 
broken  at  last  by  the  sudden  stoppage  of  the  train  out  in 
the  country,  the  sound  of  shots.,  and  the  yell  of  "Guer- 
rillas! uuerriiiasr" 

Everybody  bolted  out  of  the  cars.  Those  who  had 
guns  buckled  on  their  cartridge-boxes,  and  formed  in  line, 
ready  for  orders.  A  squad  of  rebel  cavalry  had  been  try- 
ing to  tear  up  the  track,  but  were  surprised  by  the  un- 
expected  appearance  of  the  train*   They  had  fallen  back 


JSI'S  FATHER  COMES  TO  THE  CAMP. 


143 


to  the  top  of  the  hill^  to  see  how  many  were  aboard,  and 
whether  it  looked  profitable  to  make  an  attack.  They 
were  keeping  up  a  desultory  fire  at  long  range. 


MR,  KLEGQ  READY  FOR  ACTIOX 


Mr.  Iviegg  naa  seen  a  gun  standil^fTn  ftie  coi'neT  as^lie 
ran  out.  He  picked  it  up  and  joined  one  of  the  squads. 
He  was  no  coward,  and  if  there  had  to  be  fighting,  he  was 
willing  to  do  his  share. 

"Bully  for  you,  old  Hayseed,"  said  the  man  who  had 
wanted  to  whip  any  man  in  the  right  wing  of  the  army, 
'Tou'ie  made  of  th.e  right  stu^i  after  all."  _ 


14^ 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


Others  around  him  nodded  approval,  and  Mr.  Klegg 
was  conscious  that  the  social  atmosphere  was  more 
pleasant  for  him. 

The  guerrillas  finally  decided  to  give  the  job  up,  and 
rode  away,  after  yelling  some  very  uncomplimentary 
things  about  Yankee  soldiers  generally. 

When  Mr.  Ivlegg  returned  to  his  seat  he  found  his  car- 
petsack,  umbrella,  mittens,  and  comforter  gone.  Like- 
wise the  man  who  had  been  riding  with  him.  He  waxed 
very  wroth,  and  lifted  up  his  voice  to  let  them  know  it. 
Several  around  began  to  guy  him,  but  suddenly  the  man 
from  Miller's  Brigade  forced  his  w^ay  through  the  crowd 
and  asked: 

"AVhat's  the  matter,  'Squire?'' 

Mr.  Kleg^  explained. 

"Well,  you've  got  to  have  every  one  of  them  things 
back  again,  if  I've  to  lick  every  man  on  the  train.  I'll 
not  see  as  old  a  man  and  as  good  a  man  as  you  are  mis- 
treated where  I  am.    I've  got  a  father  myself." 

This  time  he  was  in  the  large  majority.  All  of  Mc- 
Cook's  men  were  with  him.  A  general  hunt  was  insti- 
tuted through  the  train,  and  one  by  one  his  possessions 
were  recovered  and  brought  back  to  him. 

"Thankee,  gentlemen;  thankee  very  kindly.  Will  any 
o'  you  gentlemen  have  a  chaw  o'  terbacker?  It's  all  I 
have  to  offer  you,  but  it's  good." 

lVh<^n  the  train  pulled  into  Nashville  that  night  a  very 
^ki-^  old  farmer  got  off  and  inquired: 

"How  much  further  is  it  to  Murfreesboro'?' 

"About  25  miles,"  someone  answered. 

**rm  awful  glad  to  hear  it.  If  it  was  30  miles  I  don't 
beiievc  I  couldfstand  it." 


MR.  KLEGG  REACHES  THE  CUIP. 


145 


JHAPTEH    XV.  :         '[  .-  '  ■  '.T^  J 

MR.  KLEGG  REACHES  THE  CAMP  OF  THE  SOOth  IXD. 

''Things  don't  look  so  tumultuous-like  on  this  train." 
said  Mr.  Klegg,  with  a  sigh  of  satisfaction,  as  he  seated 
himself  in  the  car  for  Murfreesboro'  and  deposited  his 
valuables  by  his  side.  "I  know  that  boys  will  be  boys, 
ar.d  I  like  to  see  them  have  fun  just  as  well  as  any  othei 
man,  but  I  must  say  that  they  made  things  on  that  other 
train  a  little  too  lively  for  a  middle-aged  Deacon  of  the 
Baptist  Church." 

A  broad-shouldered  Provost-Sergeant  walked  through 
the  car,  with  an  air  of  authority,  and  gave  orders  to 
several  who  were  seated  in  it. 

"Must  be  the  Constable,  or  Sheriff,  or  Town  Marshal," 
mused  Mr.  Klegg.  'T  hope  he'll  stay  cn  the  train  till  we 
reach  Murfreesboro' ,  and  keep  order." 

Mr.  Klegg  was  right.  The  irregularities  and  disorders 
of  the  "rear"  ended  at  Nashville.  There  the  strict  disci- 
pline of  the  "'front"  began  under  the  iron  sway  of  the 
Provost-Marshal,  whose  guards  were  everywhere,  partic- 
ularly at  the  depots  and  on  the  cars.  The  occupants  of 
the  car  were  as  orderly  as  the  boys  at  a  country  school 
when  the  master  is  on  his  throne,  with  his  eyes  about 
him. 

It  was  a  bright  day,  and  the  country  roundabout  of 
surpassing  interest  to  the  Indiana  farmer.  He  saw  the 
domed,  stately  capitol  of  Tennessee  crovming  the  highest 
hill,  and  lording  a  glorious  landscape  of  hill  and  valley, 
through  which  the  Cumberland  River  flowed  in  majestic 
sweeps,  like  a  broad  girdle  of  sparkling  silver.  Then 


146 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHOET^f. 


came  tlie  frowning  forts,  witli  beetling  banks  of  blood-red 
clay,  with  terror-striking  black  guns,  with  rugged  pali- 
sades, and  a  porcupine  bristle  of  abatis.  Sentries  with 
gleaming  muskets  paced  their  high  parapets.  Every 
mile,  as  far  as  he  could  see,  was  full  of  objecta  of  en- 
grossing interest. 

He  became  so  absorbed  in  the  feast  of  his  eyes  that  he 
did  not  observe  that  a  middle-aged,  clean-shaven  man 
in  a  suit  of  dusty  black  had  sat  down  beside  him,  and 
was  studying  him  with  attention. 

"How  do  you  do,  my  friend?"  said  he  at  length,  putting 
out  his  hand. 

Mr.  Klegg  turned  with  a  start,  and  instinctively  put 
out  his  hand. 

"Howdy,"  he  said,  with  a  tone  of  little  encouragement, 
for  he  would  mLich  rather  have  continued  watching  the 
country  than  indulge  in  purposeless  conversation.  The 
«itranger  grasped  his  hand  warmly,  and  pressed  his 
thumb  upon  the  first  joint  of  Mr.  Klegg's,  and  caught  his 
little  finger  in  a  peculiar  way.  Deacon  Klegg  had  been 
initiated  into  the  Odd  Fellows,  and  he  dimly  recognized 
this  as  a  "grip,"  but  he  could  not  associate  it  for  the 
moment  with  aiiy  c-f  the  degrees  of  the  brotherhood  of  the 
Three  Links. 

*'Were  you  out  late  last  night?"  said  the  stranger  in  a 
low,  deeply-impressive  tone. 

"Uot  pertickerlerly,"  answered  Deacon  Klegg,  turning 
to  catch  a  view  of  the  stockade  at  La  Vergne,  where  the 
ist  Mich.  Eng.  had  made  such  a  gallant  defense.  "I'd 
a  mighty  bothersome  day,  and  was  purty  well  tuckered 
out.  I  found  a  good  place  to  sleep,  and  I  turned  in  rather 
airly.  Say,"  continued  he,  pointing  to  the  wreckage  of 
battle,  "the  boys  seem  to  have  poked  it  to  'em  purty 
lively  out  there." 

*^  was  a  very  sharp  fight,"  returned  the  othei;  "but 


MR.  KLEGG  REACHES  THE  CAMP. 


147 


for  once  our  friend  Wheeler  made  a  mistake,  and  lost 
heavily.  Down  the  road  farther  you'll  see  evidences  of  his 
more  successful  work,  in  some  miles  of  burnt  wagons. 

"Bad  man,  that  Gen.  Wheeler/'  said  the  Deacon,  look- 
ing steadfastly  out  of  the  window. 

The  stranger  looked  a  little  disappointed,  but  he  rallied, 
and  presently  gave  the  second  grand  hailing  sign  of  the 
Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle,  in  the  same  low,  impress- 
ive tone: 

"Did  you  see  a  star  last  night?" 

"Can't  say  that  I  did,"  responded  Mr.  Klegg  rather  in- 
differently. "There  was  lots  of  gas-lamps  burning,  and 
I  was  rather  taken  with  them,  so  that  I  didn't  notice  the 
moon  or  stars.  Besides,  as  I  told  you  before,  I  turned  in 
purty  airly,  for  I  was  tired  with  my  ride  from  Looyville, 
and  I  wanted  to  git  in  good  shape  for  the  trip  to-day." 

A  cloud  of  annoyance  came  upon  the  stranger's  face, 
and  he  did  not  speak  again  for  a  minute  or  two.  Then 
he  said: 

"You  are  from  Indiana,  are  you  not?" 
"Yes,"  said  Mr.  Klegg. 
"From  Posey  County?*' 
"Yes." 

'"I  knew  so,  I've  been  looking  for  you  for  several 
days." 

"Lookin'  for  me?"  said  Deacon  Klegg,  turning  around 
in  amazement.    "How^  come  you  to  be  looki*5'  itv 
What  business  have  you  got  w^ith  me?    How'd  ^r^^^i^o^ 
I  was  a-comin'?  Nobody  knowed  it  outside  o'  Mariai,, 
my  wife,  and  my  family." 

"Come,  come,  now,"  said  the  other  impatiently.  "Don^t 
try  to  play  off  on  me.  You  needn't  be  afraid.  I'm  all 
right.  I'm  Deputy  Grand  Organizer  for  the  Knghts  fors 
Southern  Indiana  and  the  jurisdticion  of  Louisville  gen- 
earllj.   You  ought  to  rememb  me.r   I  recollect  you  per- 


148 


gl   KLEGG   AND  SHOETY. 


fectly.  I  organized  the  Lodges  in  Poseyville,  and  all 
through  your  County.  I  planted  the  seed  there  for  a  big 
crop  of  Butternuts  that'll  help  hurl  the  tyrant  Lincoln 
from  his  bloody  throne,  and  give  the  country  back  into 
the  hands  of  th-e  white  men.    I  got  word  that  you  w^ere 


BEACON  KLEGG  AND  THE  KNIGHT  OF  THE  GOLDEN  CIRCLE. 

coming  down  with  important  information  from  your  section 
for  Gen.  Bragg  and  John  Morgan,  and  I've  been  on  the 
lookout  for  you." 

An  understanding  of  what  the  man  was,  and  what  he 
was  driving  at,  began  to  slowly  filter  into  Deacon  Klegg's 
mind,  and  his  temper  to  rise. 


MR.  KLEGG  EEACHES  THE  CAMP. 


149 


'  *^Coiifoiiiid  YOU,  you  pizen  Copperhead/'  he  said  wrath- 
fully.  "What  do  you  take  me  for?  Do  you  take  me  for  a 
miserable,  traitorous  Knight  o'  the  Golden  Circle?  Fm  a 
member  o'  the  church,  or  I'd  punch  your  pizen  head. 
I'm  a  loyal  man,  and  I've  got  a  son  fightin'  for  the  Union.'' 
"H-u-s-h,"  said  the  unconvinced  man,  laying  his  hand 
on  the  Deacon's  arm.  ''Don't  talk  so  loud.  They're 
watching  us." 

Klegg  shook  his  hand  off  angrily,  but  the  warning 
came  too  late.  The  Provost- Sergeant  had  been  watching 
them,  at  the  instigation  of  a  sharp-eyed,  clerkly-looking 
man  in  semi-un^rm. 

.  The  Sergeant  strode  toward  them,  followed  by  a  sol- 
dier with  a  gun. 

"I  arrest  you  both,"  said  he.  "You  are  men  that  we've 
been  looking  or.  You'll  stay  right  there  in  your  seats 
'till  we  get  to  Murfreesboro',  and  this  man  'U  see  that  you 
do." 

The  soldier  took  position  at  the  end  of  the  seat,  and 
dropped  the  end  of  his  musket  on  the  floor  with  an  I've- 
got-my- orders- an'- I'm- going- to- stay-  right- here  look  on  his 
face. 

"You've  been  lookin'  for  me,"  gasped  Deacon  Klegg. 
*'Who  else's  been  lookin'  for  me,  I'd  like  to  know?  Is 
the  whole  State  o'  Tennessee  lookin'  for  me?  What  was 
you  lookin'  for  me  for?  Think  I've  run  away  from  In* 
jianny  without  payin'  my  debts?  Think  I  want  to  cie- 
sert  my  wife  and  children?  Young  man,  you  don't  know 
Josiah  Klegg.  I've  got  a  quarter  section  of  as  good  land 
as  there  is  in  the  Wabash  bottoms,  and  I  don't  owe  a 
dollar  on  it.  As  for  leavin'  Maria  Klegg,  I  Avouldn't  do  it 
for  the  whole  State  of  Injianny.  What've  you  been 
lookin'  for  me  for,  I'd  like  to  know?" 

"Old  man,  I  haven't  time  to  talk  to  you,  and  it  ain't 


150 


BI   KLEGG   AND  SHOKTY. 


my  business.  You'll  find  out  soon  enough,  wlien  you 
git  to  headquarters,  and  so  will  your  partner  there." 

"My  partner,"  echoed  Deacon  Klegg.  "This  man's  no 
partner  o'  mine.  I  never  laid  eyes  on  him  till  a  half- 
hour  ago." 

"Continue  your  speech  at  headquarters,"  said  the 
Sergeant,  as  he  moved  off.  "I  haven't  time  to  listen  to 
it  now.  You'd  better  save  your  breath  till  then,  for  you'll 
have  to  do  some  mighty  slick  talkin'  to  save  your  spying 
neck,  I  can  tell  you  that." 

Deacon  Klegg  sank  back  in  the  seat  dumfounded. 
"What  on  airth  kin  he  mean?"  he  gasped. 

"It's  another  of  the  outrages  of  the  despot  Lincoln," 
answered  his  companion.  "It's  another  of  the  arbitrary 
arrests  by  his  military  satraps.  Liberty  is  dead  in  this 
country  until  we  can  overthrow  that  nigger- loving 
usurper." 

"Shut  up,"  said  the  Deacon  savagely.  "If  you  say 
another  word  I'll  mash  you.  I  won't  be  disturbed  when 
I'm  tryin'  to  think  things  out." 

"I  want  that  carpetsack  and  umbrella  of  yours,"  said 
the  Sergeant,  coming  back.  "I've  no  doubt  you've  got 
'em  both  full  of  treasonable  documents  and  information 
for  your  rebel  friends.  Guard,  watch  both  these  men 
closely,  and  see  that  they  don't  destroy  any  papers,'nor 
throw  anything  out  the  window." 

"Young  man,"  said  the  Deacon  resolutely,  *^you  can't 
nave  that  carpetsack  or  that  umbreller.  TJiey're  my 
property.  If  yovi  tech  'em  I'll  have  the  law  on  you.  I'll 
sue  you  for  trespass,  larceny,  assault  and  battery,  and 
intent  to  provoke.  I  hain't  done  nothin'  to  justify  it. 
I'm  Josiah  Klegg,  of  Posey  County,  Injianny,  Deacon  in 
the  Ebenezer  Church,  on  Mill  Crick.  I'm  goin'  down  to 
Murfreesboro'  to  visit  my  son,  Josiah  Klegg,  jr.,  o'  the 
200th  injianny  Volunteers.   You  all  know  him.  He's 


MR.  ZLEGG  REACHES  THE  CAM?. 


151 


an  officer;  he's  the  boy  that  tried  to  git  a  commissary 
wagon  away  from  the  rebels  cliirin"  the  battle,  and  he  and 
Shorty  Ve  got  a  house  with  a  tin  roof.'^ 

The  other  occupants  gathered  around  and  laughed 
derisively. 

^^'Twon't  do.  old  man,"'  said  the  Ser::eant.  trying  to 
wrest  the  carpetsack  away.  *''You  tell  a  pretty  storv, 
and  you're  well  disguised,  but  we're  onto  you.  ^\e  ^oi 
full  particulars  about  you  from  Louisville.  You're  a  bad 
lot  down  there  in  Posey  County.  There's  a  Knio-hts  of  the 
Golden  Circle  Lodge  under  every  sycamore.  You'd  be  at 
Gen.  Bragg's  headquarters  to-morrow  night  if  we  let  you 
alone." 

He  pulled  hard  at  the  carpetsack.  and  Deacon  Klegg 
resisted  with  all  his  sturdy  might.  His  strength  was 
quite  a  match  for  the  Sergeant's,  but  other  soldiers  came 
to  help  the  latter.  The  handles  came  off  in  the  struggle, 
and  the  Deacon  was  forced  doAvn  into  his  seat.  The 
other  man  took  advantage  of  the  conftision  to  work  hli 
way  through  the  crowd  to  the  door  and  jump  off.  This 
angered  the  Sergeant^  and  coming  back  to  where  ]\Lr. 
Klegg  sat,  exhausted  and  intensely  mad,  he  said: 

'T'll  make  sure  that  you  don't  get  away,  anyhow.  I 
ought  to've  done  this  at  first." 

So  saying,  he  snapped  a  hand- cuff  over  Mr.  Kleg^'s 
wrist  and  then  over  the  arm  of  the  seat. 

The  Deacon  was  never  so  humiliated  in  his  life.  Hs 
was  simply  speechless  in  his  rage  and  mortification. 

Amon.cf  the  many  of  Gen.  nosecrans's  eccentricities 
and  vagrant  fancies  was  one  for  prowling  around  through" 
his  camps  at  night,  wearing  a  private's  overcoat  and. 
cap.  One  ni^ht  he  strolled  into  the  camp  of  the  200th. 
Ind.    The  superior  architecture-  of  Si  and  Shorty's  cabin 


152 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


struck  him,  and  lie  decided  to  look  inside.   He  knocked 
on  the  door. 
''Come  in,"  shouted  Si 

He  entered,  and  found  Si  engaged  with  Tom  Billings  in 
a  game  of  checkers  for  the  championship  of  the  200th  Ind. 
Shorty  was  watching  the  game  intently,  as  Si's  coun- 
selor, and  Zeke  Tcmkins  was  giving  like  assistance  to 
Tom  Billings.  Two  other  crack  players  were  acting  as 
umpires.  The  light  from  the  fire  shone  brightly  upon 
them,  but  left  the  front  of  the  room,  where  the  General 
stood,  in  complete  darkness.  They  were  so  absorbed  in 
the  game  that  they  merely  looked  up,  saw  that  the  new 
comer  Avas  a  private  soldier,  and  supposed  that  he  had 
merely  dropped  in  to  watch  the  game. 

"Did  you  clean  your  feet  on  the  bayonet  outside  the 
door,"  demanded  Shorty,  ^s  he  fixed  his  eyes  again  on 
the  red  and  Avhite  grains  of  corn,  which  represented  the 
men  on  tjie  board. 

"No,  I  forgot,"  said  the  General  quietly. 

"Well,  go  right  outside  and  clean  'em  off,"  ordered 
Shorty.  "Don't  want  no  mud  tracked  in  here  for  us  to 
carry  out  agin." 

The  General,  much  amused,  went  out,  carefully  scraped 
his  boots,  and  then  returned. 

"All  risht  "  said  Shorty,  looking  upas  he  re-entered. 
"Now  loolv  all  you  like,  but  don't  say  nothin'.  Nobody's 
c.!jowcd  to  stij  a  word  but  the  players  and  the  umpires.'* 

The  game  proceeded  in  silence  for  several  minutes, 
and  the  General  becanup  much  interested.  It  was  one  of 
his  peculiarities  that  he  could  not  help  getting  interested, 
in  anything  that  his  soldiers  were  doing,  from  the  boiling 
of  a  cup  of  coffee  or  the  pitching  of  a  tent  to  the  align-, 
ment  of  a  company. 

Si  was  getting  a  little  the  better  of  Billings,  and  the 
Geriera.'/s  sympathies  naturally  went  toward  the  loser. 


ME.  KLEGG  REACHES  THE  CAMP. 


15a 


He  touclied  Billings  or  the  shoulder^  as  he  was  about  to" 

make  a  move;  and  said: 

"Don't  do  that.    You'll  open  your  king  row.  Move"  

Shorty  was  alert  on  the  instant.  ■"  \ 

''Shut   up,"   lie    commanded.    "You're  no  business 

talkin' ;  .1  told  you  when  you  come  iu  you  weren't  al-. 

lowed  to  say  nothin'.'' 


i: 

THE  GENERAL  INTERRUPTS  THE  GAME.  .  V 


^'Excuse  me,"  said  the  General;  "I  quite  forgot." 

"Well,  see  that  you  don't  forgit  agin,"  growled  Shorty, 
"We've  got  quite  enough  talent  in  the  game  already, 
We  don't  want  no  mare  to  come  in." 


154 


Si   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


Again  tlie  game  proceeded  in  intent  silence  for  some 
minutes.    Then  Si  called  out:\_  ^ 

"Hold  on;  you  can't  jump  backwards  with  that  man. 
That  aint  no  king."  ,  ,  , 

'T  say  it  is  a  king,"  said  Billings.  "I  got  him  into  the 
row  half  an  hour  ago,  and  crowned  him.  You  knocked 
the  crow^n  off  when  you  moved." 

"I  know  better,"  asserted  Shorty.  "I've  been  watching 
^  that  piece  right  along,  and  he's  never  been  nearer  the 
king- row  than  he  is  this  minute."  .  . 

A  hot  discussion  ensued.  The  General  forgot  himself 
and  joined  in  in  his  usual  positive,  authoritative  way.| 

"1  say  the  man  had  been  crowned.  I  saw  him  crown- 
ed, and  the  crown  afterward  knocked  off.  There's  the 
crown  by  the  side  there." 

Shorty's  wrath  rose.  "I  told  you  when  you  come  in 
here,"  he  said  sharply,  "not  to  mix  into  this  game. 
You've  got  no  business  in  it.  Keep  your  advice  till  it's 
asked  for,  or  git  out  o'  the  tent.  If  you  don't  git  out  I'll 
put  you  out." 

"Be  careful,  my  man,"  said  the  General,  speaking  in 
his  usual  way.    "You  are  talking  to  an  officer." 

"I  don't  care  if  you  are  a  Lieutenant  or  a  Captain, 
even,"  Si  chimed  in;  "you  have  no  business  mixing  in  a 
quiet  little  game  o'  checkers  between  enlisted  men."^'^  , 

"I  am  more  than  a  Captain,"  said  the  General,  opening 
his  overcoat  slightly,  to  show  his  double  row  of  buttons. 

"Bein'  a  Major  or  a  Colonel  don't  make  it  much  bet- 
ter," said  Si,  obdurately,  but  w^ith  much  more  respect 

"I'm  higher  than  a  Colonel,"  said  the  General,  amus- 
,edly,  and  opening  his  overcoat  a  little  farther. 

"Excuse  us,  General,"  they  all  murmured,  rising  to 
their  feet,  and  taking  the  position  of  a  soldier. 

"You  don't  command  our  brigade,  do  you?"  said  Shorty, 
trying  to  get  a  better  view^  of  the  face. 


MR.  KLEGG  REACHES  THE  CAIffP. 


155 


"I  command  this  brigade,  and  serai  eyotliers,"  said 
the  General,  smilingly  enjoying  their  confusion. 

"Lord,  a  Major- General  commanding  a  corps,"  gasped 
poor  Shorty,  backing  up  with  the  rest  into  line,  and 
saluting  with  the  profoundest  respect. 

"Still  higher,"  laughed  the  General,  stepping  forward 
to  where  the  light  fell  full  on  his  face,  "I'm  Ma j.- Gen. 
Rosecrans,  commanding  this  army.  But  don't  be  dis- 
turbed. You'ye  done  nothing.  You  are  all  entitled  to 
your  opinions;  as  free  American  citizens;  but  I  will  in- 
sist that  that  man  had  been  in  the  king  row,  and  should 
be  crowned.    But  you  settle  that  among  yourselyes. 

"I  merely  dropped  in  to  compliment  you  on  the  skill 
you  haye  shown  in  building  your  house  and  its  comfort. 
I'm  glad  to  find  that  it  looks  eyen  better  inside  than  out. 
I  know  that  you  are  good  soldiers  from  the  way  you  take 
care  of  yourselyes.  But  so  fine  a  house  ought  to  have  a 
better  checker- board  than  a  barrel-head,  with  grains  of 
corn  for  men.    Vs^ho  are  the  owners  of  the  house? 

"Me  and  him,"  said  Shorty,  indicating  himself  and  Si. 

"Very  good,"  said  the  General,  "both  of  you  report  at 
my  Headquarters  to-morrow  morning  at  10  o'clock.  Good 
nisht.'' 

€=7 

"Three  cheers  and  a  tiger  for  Old  Rosey,"  yelled  Shorty 
as  soon  as  he  could  get  his  scattered  wits  together 
enough  to  say  a  word. 

They  gaye  three  such  rousing  cheers  that  the  rest  of 
Co.  Q  came  running  out  of  their  tents,  and  joined  in  cheer- 
ing, as  fast  as  the  news  could  be  communicated  to  them. 

The  next  morning  a  squad  of  prisoners  was  being  con- 
ducted toward  Army  Headquarters.  At  their  head  walked 
a  stout,  middle-aged  farmer,  carrying  a  portly  blue  um- 
brella. He  had  spent  the  night  among  the  riotous  spirits 
in  the  guard- house,  and  had  eyidently  undergone  much 


156 


SI   KLEGa   AND  SHOETY. 


wear  and  tear.  He  looked  as  if  things  liad  not  been  go- 
ing his  vjaj  at  all.  By  him  marched  the  stalwart  Provost 
Sergeant,  with  a  heavy  striped  carpetsack  under  his 
arm. 

Gen.  Rosecrans  rode  up  at  the  head  of  his  staff,  from 
an  early  morning  inspection  of  some  part  of  the  camp. 
The  men  saluted  and  cheered. 

"Whom  have  you  here,  Sergeant?"  said  the  General, 
reining  up  his  horse  beside  the  squad. 

"That's  Gen.  Eosecrans,"  said  one  of  the  guards  to 
Beacon  Klegg. 

'"Nobody  of  importance,"  replied  the  Sergeant,  "except 
this  old  man  here.  He's  a  Knight  of  the  Golden  Circle, 
that  weVe  been  watching  for  for  some  tim.e,  going  through 
with  information  and  other  things  from  the  Knights  of 
Indiana  to  the  enemy  in  Tullahoma.  I've  got  his  carpet- 
sack  here.  I  expect  it's  full  of  papers  and  contraband 
stuff.  It  feels  as  if  it  had  lead  in  it.  I  am  taking  him 
to  the  Provost- Marshal's  for  examination." 

He  set  the  heavy  carpetsack  down  on  the  ground,  to 
rest  for  a  minute. 

*^Gen.  Eosecrans,  it's  all  a  plaguey  lie,"  burst  out  Dea- 
con Klegg.  "I'm  as  loyal  a  man  as  there  is  in  the  State 
t)f  Injianny.  I  voted  for  Abe  Lincoln  and  for  Oliver  P. 
Morton.  I've  come  down  here  to  visit  my  son,  Josiah 
Klegg,  jr.,  of  the  200th  Injianny  Volunteers.  You  know 
him,  General.  He's  one  o'  your^officers.  He's  a  Cor- 
poral. He's  the  boy  that  tried  to  take  a  commissary 
wagon  away  from  the  rebels  durin'  the  battle^  and  he's 
got  a  house  with  a  tin  roof.  You  recollect  that,  don't 
you?" 

Some  of  the  staff  laughed  loudly,  but  the  General 
checked  them  with  a  look,  and  spoke  encouragingly  to 
the  Deacon. 

"Yes,   General,"    continued   Mr.    Klegg.    "I  knowed 


MS.  KLEGG  EEACKE3  THE  CAMP. 


157 


Tou'd  know  all  about  him  the  minit  I  mentioned  him  to 
you.  I  told  this  over  and  over  agin  to  these  plaguey 
fools;  but  they  wouldn't  believe  me.  As  to  that  carpet- 
sack  havin'  things  for  the  enemy,  it's  the  biggest  lie 
that  ever  was  told.  I'll  open  it  right  here  before  you  to 
show  you.  I've  only  got  some  things  that  my  wife  and 
the  girls  was  sendin'  to  Si. 


MEETING  BETWEEN  SI  AXD  HIS  FATHEPw 


He  fumbled  around  for  his  keys. 

''Possibly  you  have  made  a  mistake;  Sergeant/'  said 
^b-e  G-eneral.    ""What  evidence  have  you?" 

*^'V7e'd  got  word  to  look  out  for  just  such  a  man,  who'd 
play  oil  the  dodge  of  being  an  old  plug  of  a  farmer  on  a 
visit  to  his  son.  -  ^  . 


153 


ei   KLEGG   AND  SHORTYv 


"He  v/as  on  the  train  with  a  man  Avhom  all  the  de- 
tectives knoAv  as  one  of  the  Avorst  Knights  in  the  gang. 
They  were  talking  together  all  the  way.  I  arrested  the 
other  one,  too,  but  he  slipped  away  in  the  row  this  man 
made  to  distract  cnr  attention." 

In  the  meanwhile  Deacon  Klegg  had  gotten  his  carpet- 
sack  open  for  the  General's  inspection.  It  was  a  sorry 
sight  inside.  Butter,  honey,  shirts,  socks,  boots,  and 
cakes  are  excellent  things  taken  separately,  but  make  a 
bad  mixture.  Deacon  Klegg  looked  very  dejected.  The 
rest  grinned  broadly. 

"I  don't  seem  to  see  anything  treasonable  so  far,"  said 
the  General.  "Sergeant,  take  the  rest  of  your  prisoners 
up  to  the  Provost- Marshal^-  and  leave  this  man  with  me." 

"Gen.  Rosecrans,"  said  a  familiar  voice,  "you  ordered 
us  to  report  to  you  this  mornin'  at  10  o'clock.  We're 
here." 

The  General  looked  up  and  saw  Corp'l  Si  Klegg  and 
Shorty  standing  at  a  "salute." 

"Si!"  said  the  Deacon,  joyously,  sticking  out  a  hand 
badly  smeared  with  honey  and  butter. 

"Pap!"  shouted  the  Corporal,  taking  the  hand  in  rapt- 
ure.   "How  in  the  world  did  you  git  down  here?" 

They  all  laughed  now,  and  the  General  did  not  check 
them. 

"Corporal,"  said  he,  "I  turn  this  man  over  to  you.  Pll 
J'ti^f  y^^i  responsible  that  he  don^t  communicate  with 
the  enemy.  But  come  on  up  to  Headquarters  and  get 
yojir  cneclcer- board.    I  nave  a  very  nice  one  lor  you.  " 


DEACOX  KLEGCx'S  EXPERIENCE  I>:  THE  AEAIY.  150 


'  CHAPTEP.    XYL  ^  -   ■     -  ■ - 

DEACOX  SLEGG  HAS  A  LITTLE  EXPEEIE^XE  OF  LIFE  IN  THE 

AEMY. 

'Tap/''  said  Si,  by  way  of  introduction,  *'tliis  is  fe'horty, 
my  paidner;  and  the  best  pardner  a  feller  ever  had,  and 
tlie  best  soldier  in  the  Army  of  the  Cnmberland." 

"Glad  to  see  vou.  Mr.  Klec^s:,"  said  Short  v.  reddeninsr 
and  grasping  the  father's  outstretched  hand;  '''but  you 
orter've  broke  that  boy  o'  your'u  o'  lyin'  when  he  was 
young." 

''He  never  did  lie,"  said  the  Deacon  cheerfully,  "and  I 
don't  believe  lie's  lyin*  now.  Pve  heard  a  great  deal  o' 
you.  Mr.  Shorty,  and  I'm  sure  he's  tellin'  the  truth  about 
you." 

"Drop  the  Mister,  Pap,"  said  Si.  "We  never  call  each 
other  Mister  here,  except  when  we're  mad." 

Si  took  the  carpetsack  under  his  arm,  and  they  trudged' 
up  toward  Army  Headquarters 

Eelieved  of  anxiety  as  to  his  own  personal  safety,  and 
having  found  his  son,  Deacon  Klegg  vievred  everything 
around  him  with  open-eyed  interest.  It  was  a  wonder- 
fully new  and  strange  world  into  which  the  sober,  plod- 
ding Indiana  farmer  had  dropped.  The  men  e^rounc  him 
spoke  the  speech  to  which  his  ears  were  accustomed, 
but  otherwise  they  were  as  foreign  as  if  they  had  come 
from  the  heart  of  China.  Their  dress,  their  manners, 
their  actions,  the  ways  in  which  they  Vv^e^.e  busving 
themselves,  had  no  resemblance  to  anything  seen  on  rbe 
prosaic  plains  of  the  T>  abash  in  his  half-century  of  iiie 
there.  The  infantry  sweeping  over  the  fields  in  endless 
waveS;  the  dashing  cavalcades  of  officers  and  staffs,  xho 


160 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


bewildering  whirl  of  tlie  light  batteries  dazed  him.  Even 
Si  awed  him.  It  was  hard  to  recognize  in  the  broad- 
shouldered,  self-assured  young  soldier,  who  seemed  so 
entirely  at  home  in  his  startling  surroundings,  the  blun- 
dering, bashful  hobbledehoy  of  a  few  months  before,  whose 
feet  and  hands  were  constantly  in  the  way,  and  into 
everything  else  that  they  should  not  be. 

"Somehow,  Si,"  he  said,  looking  at  his  offspring  with 
contemplative  eye,  "you  seem  to  have  growed  like  a 
cornstalk  in  July,  and  yit  when  I  come  to  measure  you 
up  you  don't  seem  no  taller  nor  heavier  than  w^hen  you 
went  away.    How  is  it? 

"Don't  kno^w.  Pap,"  Si  answered.  "I  feel  as  if  I'd  had 
more'n  10  long  years  o'  growth  since  we  crossed  the  Ohio 
River.  Yit,  you  don't  seem  a  minute  older  than  when  I 
went  away." 

"I  didn't  feel  no  older,"  returned  the  father,"  until  I 
got  in  that  guard-house  last  night.  Then  I  could  feel 
my  hair  gittin'  grayer  every  hour,  and  my  teeth  droppin' 
out." 

"I'm  afraid  you  didn't  git  much  chance  to  sleep.  Pap," 
said  Si  sympathetically. 

"Loss  o'  sleep  was  the  least  part  of  it,"  said  the  Deacon 
frciingly.  "I  kin  stand  ix  little  loss  o'  sleep  wilhout  any 
(-articklcr  bother.  1^  wasn't  bein'  kept  awake  so  much 
as  t]:e  way  \  was  kept  awake  that  wore  on  me." 

"ATl.y,  Avhat  happened?"  asked  Si. 

"Better  ask  what  didn't  happen,"  groaned  his  father. 
'Used  to  have  some  mighty  rough  shivarees  when  I  was 
a  boy.and'd  jest  settled  on  the  Wabash.  Lots  o'  toughs 
ihen,  'specially  'mong  the  flatboatmen,  who'd  nothin' 
to  drink  but  new  sod-corn  whisky,  that'd  a  hght  in  every 
apoontuL  But  for  pure,  straight-out  tumultuousness 
tiiat  guard-house  last  night  gave  six  pecks  for  every 
bushel  of  a  Wabasii  shivaree."   .         -  ~ 


DEACON  KLEGG'S  EXPERIENCE  IN  THE  ARMY. 


161 


Shorty  looked  meaningly  at  Si.  "Guard-house  fellers 's 
likely  to  be  a  ructionary  lot  o'  roosters.  Awful  sorry  you 
got  in  among  'em.    Was  they  very  bad?" 

"Well,  I  should  say.  When  I  was  chucked  in  they 
wuz  havin'  a  regular  prize  fight,  'cordin'  to  rules,  as  to 
whether  Rousseau  or  Negley  wuz  the  best  General.  The 
Rousseau  man  got  licked,  and  then  the  other  Rousseau 
men  wuzzent  satisfied,  and  proposed  to  lick  all  the 
Negley  men  in  the  guard-house;  but  the  Sheridan  men 
interfered,  and  made  the  Rousseau  men  cool  down. 
Then  they  turned  their  attention  to  me.  They  raised  a 
row  about  a  citizen  being  put  in  among  them.  It  was  a 
disgrace.  The  guard-house  was  only  intended  for  sol- 
diers and  gentlemen,  and  no  place  for  condemned  civil- 
ians. Then  someone  said  that  I  had  been  arrested  as 
a  Knight  o'  the  Golden  Circle,  on  my  way  to  Bragg,  with 
information  from  the  Injianny  Knights.  Another  insisted 
that  he  knowed  me,  and  that  I  wuz  Vallandigham  him- 
self, brought  down  there  to  be  sent  through  the  lines. 
Then  I  thought  sure  they'd  kill  me  on  the  spot.  I  beg- 
ged and  pled  and  denied.  Finally,  they  organized  a 
court-martial  to  try  me  for  my  life.  They  had  an  awful 
tonguey  feller  that  acted  as  Prosecutin'  Attorney,  and 
the  way  he  blackguarded  me  w^as  a  shame.  He  said 
that  traitor  was  wrote  in  every  liniment  o'  my  face;  that 
I  wuz  a  dyed-in-the-wool  butternut,  and  that  the  bag  I'd 
brung  along  with  me  contained  the  muster-rolls  of  100, OCO 
Injiannians  who'd  bin  swore  in  to  fight  for  Jeff  Davis. 

"The  feller  that  they  appinted  to  defcxid  me  admitted 
the  truth  of  all  that  the  other  feller'd  said.  He  said  that 
no  one  could  look  in  my  Southern  Injianny  face  without 
seein'  Secession,  treason  and  nigger-lovin'  wrote  there  in 
big  letters.  He  could  only  ask  the  honorable  court  fot 
mercy  instid  o'  p;gtice,  and  that  I  be  shot  instid  o'  hung, 
as  I  deserve(^-  - 


1G2 


BI   KLEGG   AND  PJIORTY. 


"When  tliey  asked  me  what  I'd  got  to  say  in  my  own 
defense  I  told  'em  the  truth,  and  said  that  Fd  come  down 
here  to  visit  my  son,  who  they  all  knovved — ihey  must 
know  Si  Ivlegg,  o'  the  2CCth  Injianny  Yoliuitecrs,  who 
was  an  officer,  and  had  a  house  with  a  tin  roof. 

"Then  they  all  got  up  and  yelled.  They  said  they 
knowed  Si  Ivlegg  only  too  well;  that  he  wuz  the  meanest, 
orneriest  soljer  in  the  army,  and  that  he  looked  just  like 
me.  They  had  him  in  the  guard-house  now^  He'd  bin 
put  in  for  stealin'  a  hoe-cake  from  a  blind  nigger  half- 
w^ay  back  to  Nashville  durin'  the  battle. 

^'They  brought  up  the  dirtiest,  scaliest  Icokin'  man  in 
the  guard-house,  and  said  that  w^as  Si  Klegg,  and  that 
he  resembled  mo  so  much  that  they  wuz  sure  he  wuz 
my  son.  They  asked  him  if  he  reckernized  me  as  his 
dad,  and  after  1  hey  kicked  liim  tv,"0  or  three  times 
said  he  did,  but  he  avuz  goin'  to  cut  his  throat  now,  since 
they'd  found  it  out.  He  couldn't  stand  everything. 
Then  they  said  they'd  postpone  execution  on  condition 
that  I'd  kneel  down,  drink  a  pint  o'  whisky,  take  the 
oath  o'  allegiance  to  Abe  Lincoln,  and  slug  'lYe'H  hang 
Jeff  Davis  on  a  sour-apple  tree.' 

^T  told  'em  I  wuz  perfectly  willin'  to  take  the  oath  to 
Abe  Lincoln  as  often  as  they  pleased;  that  he  wuz  my 
man  from  start  to  finish;  that  I  wanted  Jeff  Davis  hung 
the  minit  we  ketched  him.  I'd  sing  the  song  if  they'd 
learn  it  to  me,  though  I've  not  sung  anything  but  hymns 
for  the  last  25  years.  As  for  the  v/hisky,  I  w^ouldn't 
tetch  it  on  no  account,  for  I  belonged  to  the  Good  Tem- 
plars. 

"They  all  seemed  pacified  with  this  except  one  man, 
who  insisted  that  I  should  drink  the  whisky.  One  o' 
the  Sherican  men  knocked  him  down,  and  then  the  fight 
between  the  Rousseau  men  and  the  Negley  men  broke 
out  afresh,  and  the  guard  come  in  and  quieted  things. 


DEACOy  KLEGG'S  EXPERIENCE  IN  THE  ARMYo 


163 


By  ilic  time  they'd  done  this  they  found  that  the  man 
who  hr.d  rechcrnizcd  me  as  his  failicr  ^\uz  tryin'  to  hang 
hin:sch"  Aviih  a  jdcce  u'  icnt-rcj'e.  Tl:cy  cut  him  do^vn, 
larruped  him  vdth  the  tcnt-ro}:e;  and  then  started  an- 
other ecurt  to  try  mo  for  ha^dn'  sieh  a  son.  But  some 
officer  ccn:c  in  and  toch  out  the  Prosecutin"  Attorney  and 
the  lawver  ior  the  dciense  and  the  Piesidin'  Judge  and 


bucked  and  gagged  'em.  This  cooled  things  down  agin 
till  mornin''." 

^*We  might  walk  ©rer  to  the  Provost-Marshars/''  sug- 


164 


SI   KLEGG    AND  SHORTY. 


gested  Slioriy,  ''^and  watcli  for  them  fellers  as  they  come 
out,  and  take  a  drop  out  o'  some  of  'em." 

"It'll  be  a  waste  o'  timej"  said  Si,  with  a  shrug  of  his 
shoulders.  ''They'll  all  be  doing  hard  labor  for  the  next 
SO  days,  and  by  that  time  we'll  likely  have  a  good  deal 
else  to  think  about.  Let's  report  at  Headquarters,  and 
then  take  Dad  over  and  show  him  our  new  house." 

''Yes,  I'm  dying  to  see  it,"  said  the  Deacon,  "and  to 
git  somewhere  that  I  kin  sit  down  in  peace  and  quiet- 
ness. Seems  to  me  I  haven't  had  a  moment's  rest  for 
years,  and  I'm  as  nigh  tuckered  out  as  I  ever  wuz  in  my 
life." 

At  the  Army  Headquarters  was  a  crowd  of  officers, 
mounted  and  dismounted.  Aids  were  arriving  and  de- 
parting, and  there  was  a  furore  when  some  General  com- 
manding a  corps  or  division  came  or  went,  which  im- 
pressed the  father  greatly.  Si  and  Shorty  stood  at  "at- 
tention," and  respectfully  saluted  as  the  officers  passed, 
and  the  Deacon  tried  awkwardly,  but  his  best,  to  imi- 
tate their  example.  Two  or  three  spruce  young  Order- 
lies attempted  to  guy  him,  but  this  thing  came  to  a  sud- 
den stop  when  Shorty  took  one  of  them  quietly  by  the 
ear,  and  said  in  a  low  voice: 

"Don't  be  brash,  bub.  If  you  only  knowed  it,  you're 
givin'  your  measure  for  a  first-class,  custom-made  lickin', 
and  I'm  the  artist  to  do  the  job.  That  old  man's  my 
chum's  father,  and  I  won't  allow  no  funjiy  business 
'round  where  I  am." 

"We  wuz  ordered  to  report  to  Gen.  Eosecrans,"  said  Si 
to  the  Orderly  on  duty  before  the  tent. 

"What  are  you  to  report  for?"  asked  a  member  of  the 
staff,  standing  near.  The  General  is  very  busy  now, 
and  can  see  no  one.    Who  ordered  you  to  report?" 

"The  General  himself,"  said  Si. 
^  The  sound  of  his  v^ice  r^ched  Gen.  Rosecrans,  m- 


DEACOX  KLEGG'S  EXPEKIEXCE  IN  THE  ARMY. 


165 


side,  and  busy  as  he  was.  arrested  liis  attention.  uli 
tlie  kindly  tliougiitiuiness  tliat  so  endeared  liini  to  liis 
soldiers  lie  instantly  remembered  liis  promise,  dri;pped 
his  pen,  and  came  to  the  door. 


SHOETY  AD>,I0>:iSHE3  THE  OEDEELY. 

^1  ordered  these  men  to  report,''  he  said  to  the  Aid. 

Bring  me  that  checkerboard  which  lies  on  my  table." 

The  Aid  did  so.  Gen.  Rosecrans  noticed  the  father, 
and,  as  nstial.  saw  the  opportunity  of  doing  a  kindly, 
gracious  thing. 

''You  have  found  your  son,  I  see,"  he  said  to  him. 
'^Sorry  that  you  had  so  much  trouble.  That's  a  fine  son 
yoti  have.    One  of  the  very  best  soldiers  in  my  army.  I 


1G6 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


congratulate  you  upon  him.  Boys,  here  5s  3'our  board 
and  men.  I  may  drop  in  some  evening  and  see  you  play 
a  game.    I'll  be  careful  to  clean  my  feet,  this  time." 

Si  and  Shorty  got  very  red  in  the  face  at  this  allusion, 
and  began  to  stammer  excuses.  The  General  playfully 
pinched  Si's  ear  and  said: 

"Go  to  your  quarters  now,  you  young  rascal,  and  take 
your  father  with  you.  I  hope  he'll  have  a  very  pleasant 
time  while  he  is  in  camp." 

They  saluted  and  turned  away  too  fvdl  for  utterance. 
After  they  had  gone  a  little  distance  the  Deacon  re- 
marked, as  if  communing  with  himself : 

"And  that  is  Gen.  Rosecrans.  Awful  nice  man.  Nicest 
man  I  ever  saw.  Greatest  General  in  the  world.  Won't 
this  be  something  to  tell  Mariar  and  the  girls.  And  the 
men  down  at  the  store.  I'd 've  come  down  here  40  times 
jest  to  've  seen  him  and  talked  with  him.  What'd  last 
night  in  the  guard-house  amount  to,  after  all?  A  man 
must  expect  some  trouble  occasionally.  Wouldn't  have 
no  fun  if  he  didn't.  Say,  Si,  you  remember  Old  Susy's 
chestnut  colt?"  i  ,  ,a  / 

"Yes,"  answered  Si. 

"I  thought  he  had  in  him  the  makin'  o'  the  finest 
horse  in  Posey  County. 
i  "Yes,"  said  Si. 

"Well,  he's  turnin'  out  even  better'n  I  thought  he 
would.  Shouldn't  wonder  if  he  could  trot  down  some- 
where nigh  2:40." 

"You  don't  say  so?" 

"Yes,  indeed.  You  used  to  want  that  colt  mighty  bad, 
Si." 

"I  remember  that  I  did,  Pap." 

"Well,  Si,  I'll  give  you  that  colt,  and  take  good  care  o' 
him  till  you  come  home,  for  that  e'er  checker-board." 
When  they  arrived  at  their  house  Si  and  Shorty  ar- 


DEACO^:  KLEG.Ct'S  experience  IX  TH*E  AEOT.  167 


Tanged  ilie  tilings  so  as  to  give  the  Deacon  a  most  com- 
fortable rest  after  his  trying  experiences,  and  cooked 
him  the  best  dinner  their  larder  would  afford.  After  din- 
ner they  tilled  him  a  pipe-full  of  kinnikinnick,  and  the 
old  gentleman  sat  do^Yn  to  enjoy  it  while  Si  and  Shorty 


SHORTY  ADMIRES  SI'S  SHIRT. 


investigated  the  contents  of  the  carpetsack.  They 
found  endless  fun  in  its  woful  condition.  The  butter 
and  honey  were  smeared  over  ererything,  in  the  rough 
handling  which  it  had  endured.  They  pulled  out  the 
shirty  the  socks,  the  boots,  the  paper  and  books,  and 
scraped  off  caiefully  as  mtich  as  they  could  of. the  preci- 
ous-honey and  butter. 


1G8 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


"It's  too  good  to  waste  the  least  bit,"  said  Shorty,  tast- 
ing it  from  time  to  time  with  uiictioii.  "Don't  mind  a 
hair  or  two  in  the  butter,  this  time,  Si.  I  kin  believe 
your  mother  is  a  good  buttermaker.  It's  the  best  I  ever 
tasted." 

"Well,  the  butter  and  the  honey  may  be  spiled,"  said 
Si,  "but  the  other  things  are  all  right.  My,  ain't  this  a 
nice  shirt.  And  them  socks.  Shorty,  did  you  ever  see 
such  socks.  Ever  so  much  obliged  to  you.  Pap,  for  these 
boots.  Old  Hank  Sommers's  make.  He's  the  best  shoe- 
maker in  the  State  of  Injianny.  No  Quartermaster's 
cowhide  about  them.  And"  

Si  stopped.  He  had  suddenly  come  across  Annabel's 
ambrotype.  He  tried  to  slip  it  into  his  pocket  without 
the  others  seeing  him.    He  edged  awkwardly  to  the  doer. 

"You  look  over  the  rest  o'  the  things,  Short  ,"  he  said, 
with  a  blush  that  hid  his  freckles.  "I've  got  to  go  down 
and  see  the  Orderly-Sergeant." 

Shorty  and  the  Deacon  exchanged  very  profound  winks. 


\ 


THE   DEACON   ACQUIRES   EXPERIENCE.  169 

.       •  CHAPTER  XYII. 

THE  DEACON  RAPIDLY  ACQUIRES  EXPERIENCE  OF  LIFE  IN 

THE  ARMY. 

Si  asked  questions  of  his  father  about  the  folks  at  home 
and  the  farm  until  the  old  gentleman's  head  ached,  and 
he  finally  fell  asleep  through  sheer  exhaustion. 

The  next  day  the  Deacon  took  a  comprehensive  sur- 
vey of  the  house,  and  was  loud  in  his  praises  of  Si  and 
Shorty's  architecture. 

"Beats  the  cabin  1  had  to  take  youi  mother  to,  Si, 
when  I  married  her,"  he  said  with  a  restrospective  look 
in  his  eye,  "though  I'd  got  up  a  sight  better  one  than 
many  o'  the  boys  on  the  Wabash.  Lays  a  way  over  the 
one  that  Abe  Lincoln's  father  put  up  on  Pigeon  Crick,  over 
in  Spencer  County,  and  where  he  brung  the  Widder  John- 
ston when  he  married  her.  I  remember  it  well.  About 
the  measliest  shack  there  wuz  in  the  country.  Tom 
Lincoln,  Abe's  father,  wuz  about  as  lazy  as  you  make 
'em.  They  say  nothin'  will  cure  laziness  in  a  man,  but 
a  second  wife  '11  shake  it  up  awfully.  The  Widder 
Johnston  had  lots  o'  git  up  in  her,  but  she  found  Tom 
Lincoln  a  dead  load.    Abe  wuz  made  o'  different  stuff.'* 

"Yes,"  continued  the  father,  growing  reminiscentiah 
"There  wuz  no  tin  roof,  sawed  boards,  glass  winder  nor 
plank  door  in  that  little  shack  on  the  Wabash,  but  some 
o'  the  happiest  days  in  my  life  wuz  spent  in  it.  Me  and 
your  mother  wuz  both  young,  both  very  much  in  love, 
both  chock  full  o'  hope  and  hard  day's  work.  By  the 
time  you  wuz  born,  Si,  we'd  got  the  farm  and  the  house  in 
much  better  shape,  but  they  wuz  fur  from  being  what 
they  are  to-day." 


170 


BI  KLEGG  AND  SHORTY. 


^It  we  only  had  a  deed  for  a  quarter  section  o'  land 
around  our  house  we'd  be  purty  Avell  started  in  life  for 
young  men,"  ventured  Si." 

"I'd  want  it  a  heap  sight  better  land  than  this  is 
'round  here,"  said  the  Deacon,  studying  the  landscape 
judicially*  "Most  of  it  that  I've  seen  so  far  is  like  self- 
righteousness — the  more  a  man  has  the  worse  he's  off. 
Mebbe  it'll  raise  white  beans,  but  I  don't  know  o'  nothin' 
else,  except  niggers  and  poverty.  The  man  that'd  stay 
'round  here,  scratchin'  these  clay  knobs,  when  there's  no 
law  agin  him  goin'  to  Injianny  or  Illinoy,  haint  gumption 
enough  to  be  anything  but  a  rebel.  That's  my  private 
opinion  publicly  expressed." 

/  "Pap,"  said  Si,  after  his  father  had  been  a  day  in 
camp,  "I  think  we've  done  fairly  well  in  providin'  you 
with  a  house  and  a  bed,  but  I'm  afeared  that  our  cookin's 
not  quite  up  to  your  taste.  You  see,  you've  bin  badly 
pampered  by  mother.  I  might  say  that  she's  forever 
spiled  you  for  plain  grub  and  common  cookin'." 

"Your  mother's  the  best  cook  that  ever  lived  or  breath- 
ed," said  the  Deacon  earnestly.  "She  kin  make  plain 
cornbread  taste  better  than  any  body  else's  pound  cake. 
But  you  do  well,  Si,  considerin'  that  your  mother  could 
never  git  you  to  so  much  as  help  peel  a  mess  o'  'taters. 
Your  coffee'd  tan  [a  side  o'  sole  leather,  and  there's 
enough  grease  about  your  meat  to  float  a  skiff;  but  I 
didn't  expect  to  live  at  a  hotel  when  I  come  down  here." 

The  Deacon  strolled  down  near  Regimental  Head- 
quarters. An  Aid  came  up  and,  saluting  the  Colonel, 
said: 

'  "Colonel,  the  General  presents  his"  compliments,  and 
instructs  me  to  say  that  he  has  received  orders  from 
Division  Headquarters  to  send  details  of  a  Corporal  and 
five  men  from  each  regiment  there  to-morrow  morning  at 
7  o'clock  for  fatigue  duty.    You  will  furnish  yours.'* 


THE    DEACON    ACQUIRES  EXPERIENXE. 


171 


"Very  good/'  answered  the  Colonel,  returning  tlie  sa- 
lute.   "Adjutant,  order  the  detail." 

"Sergeant-Major,"  said  the  Adjutant,  after  a  mcment- 
ary  glance  at  his  roster,  "send  an  order  to  Capt.  McGilli- 
cuddy,  of  Co.  Q,  for  a  Corporal  and  five  men  for  fatigue 
duty,  to  report  at  Division  Headquarters  at  7  to-morrow 
morning." 

The  Deacon  walked  toward  Co.  Q's  quarters,  and  pres- 
ently saw  the  Orderly  hand  the  Captain  the  order  from 
the  Colonel. 

"Orderly-Sergeant,"  said  the  Captain,  "detail  a  Corporal 
and  five  men  to  report  for  fatigue  duty  at  Division  Head- 
quarters to-morrow  at  7  o'clock." 

The  Orderly-Sergeant  looked  at  his  roster,  and  then, 
walked  doAvn  to  Si's  residence. 

"Klegg,"  said  he,  "you  will  report  for  fatigue  duty  at 
Division  Headquarters  to-morrow  at  7  o'clock  with  five 
men.  You  will  take  Shorty,  Simmons,  Sullivan,  Tom- 
kins  and  Wheeler  with  you." 

"Very  good,  sir,"  said  Si,  saluting. 

"Si,"  said  his  father,  with  a  quizzical  smile,  "I've  bin 
wonderin',  ever  since  I  heard  that  you  wuz  an  officer, 
how  much  o'  the  army  you  commanded.  Now  I  see  that 
if  it  wuz  turned  upside  down  you'd  be  on  the  very  top.'* 

"He  leads  the  army  when  it  goes  backAvard,"  inter- 
jected Shorty. 

"Gracious,  Pap,"  said  Si,  good-humoredly,  "I  haven't 
rank  enough  to  get  me  behind  a  saplin'  on  the  battle- 
field. The  Colonel  has  the  pick  o'  the  biggest  tree,  the 
Lieutenant-Colonel  and  Major  take  the  next;  the  Cap- 
tains and  Lieutenants  take  the  second  growth,  and  tlie 
Sergeants  have  the  saplins.  I'm  lucky  if  I  git  so  much 
as  a  bush." 

"Old  Eosecrans  must  have  a  big  saw-log,"  said  his 


SI   KLEGl*   AND  SHORTY. 


"Not  mucli  saw-log  for  Old  Eosey,"  said  Si,  resenting 
evexx  a  joking  disparagement  upon  liis  beloved  General. 
"During  the  battle  lie  wuz  wherever  it  wuz  the  hottest, 
and  on  horseback,  too.  Wherever  the  firin'  wuz  the 
loudest  he'd  gallop  right  into  it.  His  staff  was  shot  down 
all  around  him,  but  he  never  flinched.  I  tell  you,  he's 
the  greatest  General  in  the  world.'' 

The  next  morning  after  breakfast,  and  as  Si  and 
Shorty  were  preparing  to  go  to  Division  Headquarters, 
Si  said: 

"Pap,  you  just  stay  at  home  and  keep  house  to-day. 
Keep  your  eyes  on  the  boys ;  I  tell  it  to  you  in  confidencer, 
for  I  wouldn't  for  the  world  have  it  breathed  outside  the 
company,  that  Co.  Q's  the  most  everlastin'  set  o'  thieves 
that  ever  wore  uniform.  Don't  jou  ever  say  a  word  about 
it  when  you  get  home,  for  it'd  never  do  to  have  the  boys' 
folks  know  anything  about  it.  It'd  break  their  hearts. 
Me  and  Shorty,  especially  Shorty,  are  the  only  honest 
ones  in  the  company.  The  other  fellers 'd  steal  the 
house  from  over  your  head  if  you  didn't  watch  'em." 

"That's  so,"  asseverated  Shorty.  "Me  and  Si— especi- 
ally me — is  the  only  honest  ones  in  the  company.  We're 
the  only  ones  you  kin  really  trust." 

"I'd  be  sorry  to  think  that  Si  had  learned  to  steal," 
said  the  Deacon  gravely,  at  which  Shorty  could  not  re- 
sist the  temptation  to  give  Si  a  furtive  kick.  "But  I'll 
look  out  for  thieves.  We  used  to  have  lots  o'  them  in 
Posey  County,  but  after  we  hung  one  or  two,  and  rid 
some  others  on  rails,  the  revival  meetin's  seemed  to  take 
hold  on  the  rest,  and  thev  g-ot  converted." 

"Something  like  that  ought  be  done  in  the  army,"  mur- 
-mured  Shorty. 

^'  When  you  want  anything  to  eat  jou  know  where  to 
git  it,"  said  Si,  as  they  moved  of£c  ^W@',ll  probabl|^  h0 
h2.Gk  in  time  to  git  supper." 


THE    DEACON   ACQUIEE3  EXPEEIEXCE. 


173 


Tlie  Deacon  watclied  tlie  squad  march  away,  and  then 
turned  to  think  hov,"  he  would  employ  hmiself  during  the 
day.  He  busied  himself  for  awhile  cleaning  up  the  cabin 
and  settinfj  thino-s  to  rights,  and  flattered  himself  that 
his  housekeeping  was  superior  to  his  son's.  Then  he 
decided  to  cut  some  wood.  He  found  the  ax,  "condemn- 
ed"' it  for  some  time  as  to  its  dullness  and  bad  condi- 
tion, but  finally  attacked  with  it  a  tree  which  had  been 
hauled  up  back  of  the  company  line  for  fuel.  It  was 
hard  work,  and  presently  he  sat  down  to  rest.  Loud 
words  of  command  came  from  just  beyond  the  hill,  and 
he  walked  over  there  to  see  what  was  going  on.  He  saw 
a  regiment  drilling,  and  watched  it  for  some  minutes 
with  interest.  Then  he  walked  back  to  his  work,  but 
found  to  his  amazement  that  his  ax  was  gone.  He  could 
see  nobody  around  on  vdiom  his  suspicions  could  rest. 

"Mebbe  somebody's  borrowed  it/'  he  said,  '^and  will 
bring  it  back  when  he's  through  usin'  it.  If  he  don't  I 
kin  buy  a  better  ax  for  10  or  12  bits.  Somebody  must 
have  axes  for  sale  'round  here  somewhere." 

He  waited  awhile  for  the  borrower  to  return  the  tool, 
but  as  he  did  not,  he  gathered  up  a  load  of  wood  and 
carried  it  up  to  the  cabin. 

"The  boys '11  be  mighty  hungry  when  they  git  back  this 
evenin',"  said  he  to  himself.  "I'll  jest  git  up  a  good  sup- 
per for  'em.  I'll  show^  Si  that  the  old  man  knows  some 
p'ints  about  cookin',  even  if  he  haint  bin  in  the  army, 
that'll  open  the  youngster's  eyes." 

He  found  a  tin  pan,  put  in  it  a  generous  supply  of 
beans,  and  began  carefully  picking  them  over  and  blow- 
ing the  dust  out,  the  same  as  he  had  often  seen  his  wife 
do.  Having  finished  this  to  his  satisfaction,  he  set  down 
ihe  pan  and  went  back  into  the  cabin  to  get  the  kettle 
to  boil  them  in.  When  he  returned  he  found  that  pan 
and  beans  had  vanished,  and  again  he  saw  no  one  upon 


174 


ei   KLEGG    AND  SHOKTY. 


whom  lie  could  fix  his  suspicions.  The  good  Deacon  be- 
gan to  find  the  "old  Adam  rising  within  him/'  but  as  a 
faithful  member  of  the  church  he  repressed  his  choler. 

can't  hardly  believe  all  that  Si  and  Shorty  said  about 
the  dishonesty  of  Co.  Q,"  he  communed  with  himself. 
*'Many  o'  the  boys  in  it  I  know — they're  right  from  our 
neighborhood.  Good  boys  as  ever  lived,  and  honest  as 
the  day  is  long.  Some  o'  them  belonged  to  our  Sunday- 
school.  I  can't  believe  that  they've  turned  out  bad  so 
soon.  Yet  it  looks  awful  suspicious.  The  last  one  I 
see  around  here  was  Jed  Baskins.  His  father's  a  reg- 
gerly  ordained  preacher.  Jed  never  could  We  took  them 
beans.    But  who  on  airth  done  it?" 

The  Deacon  carefully  fastened  the  door  of  the  cabin, 
and  proceeded  with  his  camp-kettle  to  the  spring  to  get 
some  water.  He  found  there  quite  a  crowd,  with  many 
in  line  waiting  their  chance  at  the  spring.  He  stood 
around  awhile  awaiting  his  chance,  but  it  did  not  seem 
to  get  any  nearer.  He  said  something  about  the  length 
of  time  it  took,  and  a  young  fellow  near  remarked: 

"Here,  Uncle,  give  me  your  kittle.  I'll  git  it  filled  for 
you.'* 

AVithout  a  thought  the  Deacon  surrendered  the  kettle 
to  him,  and  he  took  his  place  in  line.  The  Deacon 
watched  him  edging  up  toward  the  spring  for  a  minute  or 
two,  and  then  his  attention  was  called  to  a  brigade 
maoiuvering  in  a  field  across  the  river.  After  awhile  he 
thought  again  about  his  kettle,  and  looked  for  the  kindly 
yoBng  man  who  had  volunteered  to  fill  it.  There  were 
several  in  the  line  who  looked  like  him,  but  none  whom 
he  could  positively  identify  as  him. 

"Which  o'  you  boys  got  my  kittle?"  he  inquired,  walk- 
ing along  the  line. 

''Got  your  kittle,  you  blamed  teamster,"  they  an- 
swered crossly.   "Go  away  from  here.   We  don't  allow 


THE   DEACON   ACQUIRES  EXPERIENCE. 


175 


teamsters  at  this  spring.  It's  013 ly  for  soldiers.  Go  to 
your  own  spring." 

His  kettle  was  gone  too.  That  was  clear.  As  the 
Deacon  walked  back  to  the  cabin  he  was  very  hot  in  the 
region  of  his  collar.  He  felt  quite  shamefaced,  too,  as  to 
the  way  the  boys  would  look  on  his  management,  in  the 
face  of  the  injunctions  they  had  given  him  at  parting. 
His  temper  was  not  improved  by  discovering  that  while 
he  was  gone  someone  had  carried  off  the  bigger  part  of 
the  wood  he  had  laboriously  chopped  and  piled  up  in 
front  of  the  cabin.  He  sat  dow^n  in  the  doorway  and 
meditated  angrily: 

"I'll  be  dumbed  (there,  I'm  glad  that  Mariar  didn't  hear 
me  say  that.  I'm  afeared  I'm  gittin'  to  swear  just  like 
these  other  fellers).  I'll  be  dumbed  if  I  ever  imagined 
there  wuz  sich  a  passel  o'  condemned  thieves  on  the  face 
0'  the  airth.  And  they  all  seem  sich  nice,  gentlemanly 
fellers,  too.  What'U  we  do  with  them  when  they  git 
back  home?" 

Presently  he  roused  himself  up  to  carry  out  his  idea  of 
getting  a  good  meal  ready  for  the  boys  by  the  time  they 
returned,  tired  and  hungry.  He  rummaged  through  the 
cabin,  and  came  across  an  old  tin  bucket  partially  filled 
vdth  scraps  of  paper.  There  did  not  seem  to  be  any- 
thing of  value  in  it,  and  he  tossed  the  contents  on  the 
smoldering  fire.  Instantly  there  was  an  explosion  which 
took  the  barrel  off  the  top  of  the  chimney,  sent  the  stones 
rattling  down,  filled  the  room  full  of  smoke,  singed  the 
Deacon's  hair  and  whiskers,  and  sped  him  out  of  the 
cabin  in  great  alarm.  A  crowd  quickly  gathered  to  see 
what  was  the  matter.  Just  then  Si  appeared  at  the  head 
of  his  squad.  He  and  Shorty  hurried  to  the  scene  of  the 
disturbance. 

*^What,is  the  matter,  Pap?"  Si  asked  anxiously. 

"Why,"  explained   his  fathei,  "I  was  lookin'  ^roirnd 


176 


SI   KLEGG    AND  SHORTY. 


for  sonietlihig  to  git  water  in,  and  I  found  an  old  tin 
bucket  with  scraps  o'  paper  in.  I*  tlirowed  them  in  the 
fire,  and  I'm  feared  I  busted  your  fireplace  all  to  pieces. 
But.  I'll  help  you  to  fix  it  up  agin,"  he  added  depreeat- 
ingly. 


DEACON  KLEGG  IS  SURrRISED. 


*Bvit  you  ain't  hurt  any,  are  you.  Pap?"  asked  Si,  anx- 
iously examining  his  father,  and  ignoring  all  thought 
as  to  the  damage  to  the  dwelling. 

"No,"  said  his  father  cheerfully.  "I  guess  I  lost  a  little 
hair,  but  I  could  spare  that.  It  was  about  time  to  git  it 
cut  anyway.    I  think  we  kin  fix  up  the  fireplace.  Si." 

"Cuss  the  fireplace,  so  long's  you're  all  right,"  answer- 
ed Si.    *'A  little  mud  '11  straighten  that  out.'''   You  got 


THE  DEACON  ACQUIRES  EXPERIENCE. 


177 


liold  o'  the  bucket  where  me  and  Shcrlv  've  bin  savin' 
up  our  broken  cartridges  for  a  little  private  Fourth 
July  some  night." 

"But,  Si,"  said  the  Deacon  sorrowfully,  determined  to 
have  it  all  out  at  once.  "They're  bigger  thieves  than 
you  said  they  wuz.  They've  stole  your  ax — but  I'll  buy 
you  a  better  one  for  10  or  12  bits;  they  took  your  pan 
and  beans,  an'  took  your  camp-kittle,  and  finally  all  the 
wood  that  I'd  cut." 

He  looked  so  doleful  that  the  boys  could  not  help 
laughing. 

"Don't  worry  about  ihem,  Pap,"  said  Si  cheerfully. 
"We'll  fix  them  all  right;  Let's  go  inside  and  straigh  en 
things  up,  and  then  we'll  have  something  to  eat." 

"But  you  can't  git  nothin'  to  eat,"  persisted  the  Dea- 
con, "because  there's  nothin'  to  cook  in."  / .  - 

"We'll  have  something,  all  the  same,"  said  Shorty, 
with  a  wink  of  enjoyable  anticipation  at  Si. 

The  two  boys  carefully  stowed  away  their  overcoats, 
which  were  rolled  up  in  bundles  in  a  way  that  would  be 
suspicious  to  a  soldier.  They  got  the  interior  of  the 
cabin  in  more  presentable  shape,  and  then  Shorty  went 
out  and  produced  ^^  camp-kettle  from  somewhere,  in 
which  they  made  their  coffee.  When  this  was  ready, 
they  shut  the  door  and  carefully  unrolled  their  overcoats. 
A  small  sugar-cured  ham,  a  box  of  sardines,  a  can  of 
peaches,  and  a  couple  of  loaves  of  fresh,  soft  bread  de- 
veloped. '  • 

"Yum-yum!"  murmured  Shorty,  gloating  over  the 
viands. 

"Where  in  the  world  did  you  git  them,  boys?"  asked 
the  Deacon  in  wonderment. 

"Eat  what  is  set  before  you,  and  ask  no  questions,  for 
conscience'  sake,  Pap,"  said  Si,  slicing  off  a  ^iece  of  the 


17S  SI  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 

Iiam  and  starting  to  broil  it  for  his  father.  "That's  what 
you  used  to  tell  me." 

"Si,"  said  the  father  sternly,  as  an  awful  suspicion 
moved  his  mind,  "I  hope  you  didn't  steal  'em." 

"Of  course  not.  Pap.    How^  kin  you  think  so?" 


TRYING  TO  CONQUER  THE  DEACON'S  SCRUPLEa 


"Josiah  Klegg,"  thundered  the  father,  "tell  me  how 
you  came  by  them  things?" 

"Well,  Pap,"  said  Si,  considerably  abashed,  "it  was 
something  like  this:  Our  squad  was  set  to  work  to  un- 
load a  car  o*  Christian  Commission  things.  Me  and 
Shorty  pulled  off  our  overcoats  and  laid  them  in  a  corner. 
When  we  got  through  our  work  and  picked  up  our  coats 
we  found Jhese  things  in  them.   Somejbad  men  had  hid 


THE    DEACON    ACQUIKES  EXPERIENCE. 


179 


tliem  tliere,  thinkiii'  tlioy  vruz  their  overcoats.  We 
thouglit  the  best  way  wuz  to  punish  the  thieves  by  takin' 
the  things  away  with  us.  Now,  here's  a  piece  o'  ham 
biiled  almost  as  nice  as  motlier  could  do.  Take  it,  and 
cut  you  off  a  slice  of  that  soft  bread.' 

"Si,  the  receiver's  as  bad  as  the  thief.  I  won't  touch 
it.'' 

"Pap,  the  harm's  been  done.  No  matter  wlio  done  it, 
the  owner'll  never  see  his  victuals  agin.  Jest  as  like  he 
cribbed  'em  from  somebody  else.  These  Christian  Com- 
mission things  wuz  sent  dovrn  for  us  soljers  anyhow. 
We'd  better  haA^e  'em  than  the  bummers  around  the 
rear.  They'll  spile,  and  be  wasted  if  you  don't  eat  'em; 
and  that'd  be  a  sin.'' 

The  savory  ham  was  very  appetizing,  the  Deacon  was 
very  hungry,  and  the  argument  was  sophistical, 

"I'll  take  it.  Si,"  said  he  with  a  sigh.  "1  don't  wonder 
that  the  people  down  here  are  rebels  and  all  that  sort  o' 
thing.  It's  in  the  air.  I've  felt  my  principles  steadily 
weakenin'  from  the  time  I  crossed  the  Ohio  Eiver." 


180 


SI   "KLma   AND  SHORTY. 


CJMPTEE  XVIIL 

THE  DEACON  CONTINUES  TO  ACQUIRE  VOLUMES  OF  MILITARY 

EXPERIENCE. 

With  the  Deacon's  assistance,  the  chimney  was  soon 
rebuilt  better  than  ever,  and  several  homelike  improve- 
ments were  added.  The  lost  utensils  were  also  replaced, 
one  by  one.  The  Deacon  was  sometimes  troubled  a  lit- 
tle in  his  mind  as  to  where  the  pan,  the  camp-kettle, 
etc.,  came  from.  Si  or  Shorty  would  simply  bring  in  one 
of  them,  with  a  sigh  of  satisfaction,  and  add  it  to  the 
household  stock.  The  Deacon  was  afraid  to  ask  any 
questions. 

One  day,  however.  Shorty  came  in  in  a  glow  of  excite- 
ment, with  a  new  ax  in  his  hand. 

"There;  isn't  she  a  daisy,"  he  said  holding  it  up  and 
testing  the  edge  with  his  thumb.  "None  o'  your  old 
sledges  with  no  more  edge  than  a  maul,  that  you  have  to 
nigger  the  wood  off  with.  Brand  new,  and  got  an  edge 
like  a  razor.    You  kin  chop  wood  with  that,  I  tell  you." 

"It's  a  tolerable  good  ax.  Wuth  about  10  bits,"  said 
the  Deacon,  examining  the  ax  critically.  "Last  ax  I 
bought  from  01  Taylor  cost  12  bits.  It  was  a  better  one. 
How  much'd  you  give  for  this?   I'll  pay  it  myself." 

"Do  you  know  Jed  Baskins  thinks  himself  the  best 
eucher  player  in  the  200th  Ind.,"  said  Shorty,  forgetting 
himself  in  the  exultation  of  his  victory. 

"Jed  Baskins — the  Rev.  Jared  Baskins 's  son — a  eucher 
player,"  gasped  the  Deacon.  "Why,  his  father'd  no  more 
tech  a  card  than  he  would  a  coal  o'  fire.  Not  so  much, 
for  I've  often  heard  him  say  that  a  coal  o'  fire  kin  only 
Iburn  the  hands,  while  cards  scorch  the  soul." 

"Well,  Jed,"  continued  Shorty,  "bantered  me  to  ^^ay 


THE  DEACON  CONTINUES  TO  ACQUIRE  EXPEEIENCE.  181 


tliree  games  out  o'  five  for  this  liere  ax  agin  my  galvanized 
brass  watcli.  We  wuz  hoss  and  lioss  on  the  first  two 
games;  on  the  saw-off  we  had  four  pints  apiece.  I  dealt 
and  turned  up  the  seven  o'  spades.  Jed  ordered  me  up, 
and  then  tried  to  ring  in  on  me  a  right  boAver  from  an- 
other deck,  but  I  knovred  he  hadn't  it,  because  I'd  tried 


'HOW  MUCH'P  YOU  GIVE  FOF;  THIS?" 


to  ketch  it  in  the  deal,  but  missed  it  and  slung  it  under 
the  table.  I  made  Jed  play  fair,  and  euchered  him,  with 
only  two  trumps  in  my  hand.  Jed's  .a  mighty  slick 
hand  with  the  pasteboards,  but  he  meets  his  boss  in 
your  Uncle  Ephraim.  I  didn't  learn  to  play  eucher  in  the 
hay  lofts  o'  Bean  Blossom  Crick  for  nothin',  I  kin  tell 
you.'' 


182 


SI    KLEGO   AND  SHORTY. 


An  expression  of  horror  came  into  Deacon  Klegg's  face, 
and  he  looived  at  Shorty  vvith  severe  disapproval,  which 
■was  entirely  lost  on  that  worthy,  who  continued  to  prat- 
tle on: 

"Jed  Baskins  kin  slip  in  more  cold  decks  on  green- 
horns than  any  boy  I  ever  see.  You'd  think  he'd  spent 
his  life  on  a  Mississippi  steamboat  or  follerin'  a  circus. 
You  remember  how  he  cleaned  out  them  Maumee  Musk- 
rats  at  chuch-a-luck  last  pay-day?  Why,  there  wuzn't 
money  enough  left  in  one  company  to  buy  postage  stamps 
for  their  letters  home.  You  know  how  he  done  it?  Why, 
that  galoot  of  a  citizen  gambler  that  we  tossed  in  a  blanket 
down  there  by  Nashville,  and  then  rid  out  o'  camp  on  a 
rail,  learned  him  how  to  finger  the  dice.  I  was  sure 
some  o^  them  Maumee  Smart  Alecks 'd  git  on  to  Jed,  but 
they  didn't.  I  declare  they  wouldn't  see  a  six-mule 
team  if  it  druv  right  acrost  the  board  afore  'em.  But  I'm 
onto  him  every  minit.  I  told  him  when  he  tried  to  ring 
in  that  jack  on  me  that  he  didn't  know  enough  about 
cards  to  play  with  our  Sunday-school_class  on  Bean  Blos- 
som Crick," 

"Josiah  Klegg,"  said  the  Deacon  sternly,  "do  you  play 
cards?'' 

"I  learned  to  play  jest  a  little,"  said  Si  deprecatingly, 
and  getting  very  red  in  the  face.  "1  jest  know  the  names 
o'  the  cards,  and  a  few  o'  the  rules  o'  the  game." 

"I'm  surprised  at  you,"  said  the  Deacon,  "after  the 
careful  way  you  wuz  brung  up.  Cards  are  the  devil's 
own  picture-books.  They  drag  a  man  down  to  hell  jest 
as  sure  as  strong  drink.    Do  you  own  a  deck  o'  cards?" 

"No,  sir,'^  replied  Si.  "I  did  have  one,  but  I  throwed  it 
away  when  we  wuz  goin'  into  the  battle  o'  Stone  River." 

"Thank  heaven  you  did,"  said  the  Deacon  devoutly. 
"Think  o'  your  goin'  into  battle  with  them  infernal 


THE  DEACON  CONTINUES  TO  ACQUIRE  EZPERIENCE.  183 


tilings  on  you.  They'd  draw  death  to  you  jest  like  iron 
draws  lightnin'." 

"That's  what  I  wuz  afeared  of/'  Si  confessed. 

"Now,  don't  you  ever  touch  another  card/'  said  the 
Deacon.  "Don't  you  ever  own  another  deck.  Don't  you 
insult  the  Lord  by  doin'  things  when  you  think  you're 
safe  that  you  wouldn't  do  when  you're  in  danger  and 
want  His  protection." 

"Yes,  sir,"  responded  Si  very  meel^ly.  The  Deacon 
was  so  excited  that  he  pulled  out  his  red  bandana,  mop- 
ped his  face  vigorously,  and  walked  out  of  the  door  to  get 
some  fresh  air.  As  his  back  was  turned,  Si  reached  slily 
up  to  a  shelf,  pulled  down  a  pack  of  cards,  and  flung 
them  behind  the  back-log. 

"I  didn't  yarn  to  Pap  when  I  told  him  I  didn't  own  a 
deck,"  he  said  to  Shorty.  "Them  wuzzent  really  our 
cards.    I  don't  exactly  know  who  they  belonged  to." 

The  good  Deacon  was  still  beset  with  the  idea  of  as- 
tonishing the  boys  with  a  luxurious  meal  cooked  by  him- 
self, without  their  aid,  counsel  or  assistance.  His  failure 
the  first  time  only  made  him  the  more  determined.  While 
he  conceded  that  Si  and  Shorty  did  unusually  well  with 
the  materials  at  their  ccmm.and,  he  had  his  full  share  of 
the  conceit  that  possesses  every  man  born  of  woman 
that,  without  any  previous  training  or  experience,  he 
can  prepare  food  better  than  anybody  else  who  attempts 
to  do  it.  It  is  usually  conceded  that  there  are  three 
things  which  every  man  alive  believes  he  can  do  better 
than  the  one  who  is  engaged  at  it.   These  are: 

1.  Telling  a  story; 

2.  Poking  a  tire; 

3.  Managing  a  woman.  ... 

Cooking  a  meal  should  be  made  the  fourth  of  this  cate- 
One  day  Si  and  Skorty  went  with  the  rest  of  Co.  Q  oa 


184 


SI  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


fatigue  duty  cn  the  enormous  fortifications,  the  building 
of  which  took  i  p  so  much  of  the  Army  of  the  Cumber- 
land's energies  during  its  stay  around  Murfreesboro'  from 
Jan.  3  to  June  24,  1863.  Rosecrans  seemed  suddenly 
seized  with  McClellan's  mania  for  spade  work,  and  was 
piling  up  a  large  portion  of  Middle  Tennessee  into  para- 
pet, bastion  and  casemate,  lunet,  curtain,  covered- way 
and  gorge,  according  to  the  system  of  Vauban.  The  200th 
Ind.  had  to  do  its  unwilling  share  of  this,  and  Si  and 
Shorty  worked  off  some  of  their  superabundant  energy 
with  pick  and  shovel.  They  would  come  back  at  night 
tired,  muddy  and  mad.  They  would  be  ready  to  quarrel 
with  and  abuse  everybody  and  everything  from  President 
Lincoln  down  to  the  Commissary-Sergeant  and  the  last 
issue  of  pickled  beef  and  bread— especially  the  Commis- 
sary-Sergeant and  the  rations.  The  good  Deacon  sor- 
rowed over  these  manifestations.  He  was  intensely 
loyal.  He  wanted  to  see  the  soldiers  satisfied  with  their  ^ 
officers  and  the  provisions  made  for  their  comfort. 

He  would  get  up  a  good  dinner  for  the  boys,  which 
would  soothe  their  ruffled  tempers  and  make  them  more 
satisfied  with  their  lot. 

He  began  a  labored  planning  of  the  feast.  He  looked 
over  the  larder,  and  found  there  pork,  corned  beef,  pota- 
toes, beans,  coffee,  brown  sugar,  and  hardtack. 

"Good,  substantial  vittles,  that  stick  to  the  ribs,"  he 
muttered  to  himself,  "and  I'll  fix  up  a  good  mess  o'  them. 
But  the  boys  ought  to  have  something  of  a  treat  once  in 
a  while,  and  I  must  think  up  some  way  to  give  it  to  'em." 

He  pondered  over  the  problem  as  he  carefully  cleaned 
the  beans,  and  set  them  to  boiling  in  a  kettle  over  the 
fire.  He  washed  some  potatoes  to  put  in  the  ashes  and 
roast.  But  these  were  commonplace  viands.  He  wanted 
something  that  w^ould  be  luxuries. 

"I  recollect,"  he  said  to  himself  finally,  "seein'  a  little 


THE  DEACOX  C0XTIXUE5  TO  ACQUIEE  EXPEEIEXCE.  185 


store,  Vr-liicli  some  feller's  set  up  a  little  ways  from  here. 
It's  a  board  slianty,  and  I  expect  lie's  got  a  lot  o*  things 
in  it  that  the  hoys  "d  like,  for  there's  nearly  ahvays'a 
big  crowd  around  it.  I'll  jest  fasten  up  the  house^  and 
walk  over  there  while  the  beans  is  a  seethin",  and  see  if 
I  can't  pick  up  something  real  good  to  eat."^ 


DEACON  KLLJG  LOOKS  OVEPc  THE  LAEDEK. 


He  made  his  way  through  the  crowd,  which  seemed  to 
him  to  smell  of  vrhisky,  until  he  came  to  the  shelf  across 
the  front,  and  took  a  look  at  the  stock.  It  seemed  almost 
wholly  made  up  of  canned  goods,  and  boxes  of  half* 
Spanish  cigarS;  and  playing-caida 


186 


SI  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


"Don't  seem  to  be  mucli  of  a  store  after  all,"  solilo- 
quized the  Deacon,  after  he  had  surveyed  the  display. 
"Aint  a  patehin'  to  01  Taylor's.  Don't  see  anything 
very  invitin'  here.  0,  yes,  there's  a  cheese.  Say,  Mister, 
gi'  me  about  four  pounds  o'  that  there  cheese." 

"  Plank  down  your  $2  fust,  ole  man,"  responded  the 
vStorekeeper.  "This  is  a  cash  store, — cash  in  advance, 
every  time.  Short  credits  make  long  friends.  Hand  me 
over  your  money,  and  I'll  hand  you  over  the  cheese." 

"Land  o'  Goshen,  four  bits  a  pound  for  cheese,"  gasped 
the  Deacon.  "Why,  I  kin  git  the  best  full-cream  cheese 
at  home  for  a  bit  a  pound." 

"Why  don't  you  buy  your  cheese  at  home,  then,  ole 
man?"  replied  the  storekeeper.  "You'd  make  money,  if 
you  didn't  have  to  pay  freight  to  Murfreesboro'.  Guess 
you  don't  know  much  about  gettin'  goods  down  to  the 
front.  But  I  haint  no  time  to  argy  with  you.  If  you 
don't  want  to  buy,  step  back,  and  make  room  for  some- 
one that  does.  Business  is  lively  this  mornin'.  Time  is 
money.  Small  profits  and  quick  returns,  you  know. 
No  time  to  fool  with  loafers  who  only  look  on  and  ask 
questions." 

"Strange  way  for  a  storekeeper  to  act/'  muttered  the 
Deacon.  "Must've  bin  brung  up  in  a  Land  OfiSce.  He 
couldn't  keep  store  in  Posey  County  a  week.  They 
wouldn't  stand  his  sass."  Then  aloud;  "You  may  gi' 
me  tw^o  pounds  o'  cheese." 

"Well,  why  don't  you  plank  down  the  rhino?"  said  the 
storekeeper  impatiently.  "Put  up  your  money  fust,  and 
then  youQl  git  the  goods.  This  aint  no  credit  concern 
with  a  stay-law  attachment.  Cash  in  a<Jvance  saves 
bookkeeping." 

"Well,  I  declare,"  muttered  tlije  Dea(?on,  as  he  fished  a 
greenback  out  of  a  leather  pocket-book  fastened  with  a 


THE  DEACON  CONTINUES  TO  ACQUIRE  EXPERIENCE.  187 


long  strap.  "This  is  the  first  time  I  ever  had  to  pay  for 
things  before  I  got  'em. 

"Never  went  to  a  circus,  then,  ole  man,  or  run  for  of- 
fice," replied  the  storekeeper,  and  his  humor  was  re- 
warded with  a  roar  of  laughter.  "Anything  else?  Speak 
qi.ick  or  step  back.*' 

"I'll  take  a  can  o'  them  preserved  peaches  and  a  quart 
jug  o'  that  genuine  Injianny  maple  molasses,"  said  the 
Deacon  desperately,  naming  two  articles  which  seemed 
much  in  demand. 

"All  right;  $2  for  the  peaches,  and  |2  more  for  the 
molasses." 

"Sakes  alive!"  ejaculated  the  Deacon,  producing  the 
strapped  pockct-bcok  agcin.  "Five  dollars  gone,  and 
precious  little  to  show  for  it." 

He  took  his  jug  and  his  can,  and  started  back  to  the 
cabin.  A  couple  of  hundred  yards  away  he  met  a  squad 
of  armed  men  marching  toward  the  store,  under  the  com- 
mand of  a  Lieutenant.  He  stepped  to  one  side  to  let 
them  pass,  but  the  Lieutenant  halted  them,  and  asked 
authoritatively:  .  . 

"What  have  you  got  there,  sir?" 

'Jest  some  things  I've  been  buyin'  for  the  boys'  din- 
ner," answered  the  Deacon. 

"Indeed!  Very  likely,"  remarked  the  Lieutenant  sar- 
castically. He  struck  the  jug  so  sharply  with  his  sword 
thct  it  was  broken,  and  the  air  was  filled  with  a  powerful 
odor  of  whisky.  The  liquor  splashed  over  the  Deacon's 
trousers  and  wet  them  through.  The  expression  of  anger 
on  his  face  gave  way  to  one  of  horror.  He  had  always 
been  one  of  the  most  rigid  of  Temperance  men,  and  fairly 
loathed  whisky  in  all  shapes  and  uses 

"Just  as  I  supposed,  you  old  vagabond,"  said  the 
Lieutenant,  contemptuously.  "Down  here  sneaking 
whisky  into  camp.    We'll  stop  that  mighty  sudden." 


188 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHOETY 


He  knocked  tlie  can  of  peaclies  out  of  the  Deacon's 
arms  and  ran  his  sword  into  it.  A  gush  of  whisky 
spurted  out.  The  Sergeant  took  the  package  of  cheese 
away  and  broke  it  open,  revealing  a  small  flask  of  liquor. 

"The  idea  of  a  man  of  your  ag-e  being  engaged  in  such^ 
business,"    said    the    Lieutenant    indignantly.  "You 
ought  to  be  helping  to  keep  the  men  of  the  army  sober, 
instead  of  corrupting  them  to  their  own  great  injury. 
You  are  doing  them  more  harm  than  the  rebels." 

The  Deacon  was  too  astonished  and  angry  to  reply. 
Words  utterly  failed  him  in  such  a  crisis. 

"Take  charge  of  him,  Corporal,"  commanded  the 
Lieutenant.  "Put  him  in  the  guardhouse  till  to-morrow, 
wdien  we'll  drum  him  out  of  camp,  with  his  partner,  who 
is  running  that  store." 

The  Corporal  caught  the  Deacon  by  the  arm  roughly 
and  pulled  him  to  the  rear  of  the  squad,  which  hurried 
forward  to  the  store.  The  crowd  in  front  had  an  inkling 
of  what  w^as  coming.  In  a  twinkling  of  an  eye  they  made 
a  rush  on  the  store,  each  man  snatched  a  can  or  a  jug, 
and  began  bolting  aw^ay  as  fast  as  his  legs  could  carry 
him. 

The  storekeeper  ran  out  the  back  way,  and  tried  to 
make  his  escape,  but  the  Provost-Sergeant  of  the  provost 
squad  threw  down  his  musket  and  took  after  him.  The 
storekeeper  ran  fast,  inspired  by  fear,  and  the  desire  to 
save  his  Ill-gotten  gains,  but  the  Sergeant  ran  faster, 
and  presently  brought  him  back,  panting  and  trembling, 
to  witness  the  demolition  of  his  property.  The  shanty 
was  being  torn  down,  each  plank  as  it  came  off  being 
snatched  up  by  the  soldiers  to  carry  ofi  and  add  to  their 
own  habitations.  The  "canned  fruit"  was  being  punched 
with  bayonets,  and  the  jugs  smashed  by  gun-butts. 

"You  are  a  cheeky  scoundrel,"  said  the  Lieutenant, 
addressing  himself  to  the  storekeeper,  "to  come  down 


^THE  DEACON  COXTIXUES  TO  ACQUIRE  EXPERIENCE.  189 


liere  and  try  to  run  sucli  a  dead-fall  right  in  tlie  middle 
of  camp.  But  we'll  cure  you  of  any  such  ideas  as  that. 
You'll  find  it  won't  pay  at  all  to  try  such  games  on  us. 
You'll  go  to  the  guardhouse,  and  to-morrow  we'll  shave 
your  head  and  drum  you  and  your  partner  there  otit  of 
camp.'' 

"I  aint  no  partner  o'  his,"  protested  the  Deacon  earn- 
estly, ''lly  name's  Josiah  Klegg,  o'  Posey  County,  In- 
jianny.  Fm  dovrn  here  on  a  visit  to  my  son  in  the  200th 
Injianny  Volunteer  Infantry.  I'm  a  Deacon  in  the  Bap- 
tist Church,  and  a  Patriarch  of  the  Sons  o'  Temperance. 
It'd  be  the  last  thing  in  the  world  I'd  do  to  sell  whisky." 

'That  story  won't  wash,  old  man,"  said  the  Lieutenant. 
"'You  were  caught  in  the  act,  with  the  goods  in  your  pos- 
session, and  trying  to  deceive  me." 

He  turned  away  to  order  the  scjuad  forward.  As  they 
marched  along  the  storekeeper  said  to  the  Deacon. 

"Pm  afraid  they've  got  me  dead  to  rights,  ole  man,  but 
you  kin  git  out.  Jest  keep  up  yotir  sanctimonious  ap- 
pearance and  stick  to  your  Deacon  story,  and  you'll  git 
off.  I  knoAv  of  you.  Pve  lived  in  Posey  County  myself. 
Pm  going  to  trust  you.  k've  already  made  a  clean  big 
profit  on  this  venture,  and  Pve  got  it  right  down  in  my 
pocket.  In  spite  of  all  they've  spiled,  I'd  be  nigh  §500 
ahead  o'  the  game  if  I  could  git  out  c'  camp  with  what 
Pve  got  in  my  sock.  But  they'll  probably  search  me 
and  confiscate  my  wad  for  the  hospital.  You  see,  I've 
been  through  this  thing  before.  I'm  goin'  to  pass  my 
pile  over  to  you  to  take  keer  of  till  I'm  through  this 
rumpus.  You  play  fair  with  me,  an'  I'll  whack  up  with 
yoti  fair  and  square,  dollar  for  dollar.  If  you  don't  I'll 
follow  you  for  years c" 

-  "1  wouldn't  tech  a  dirty  dollar  of  yours  for  the  world," 


190 


SI   KLEGG    AND  SHORTY. 


said  the  Deacon  inclign.intly ;  but  this  was  lost  on  the 
storekeeper,  who  was  watching  the  Lieutenant. 

"Don't  say  a  word,"  he  whispered;  "he's  got  his  eye 
on  us.    There  it  is  in  your  overcoat  pocket." 

In  the  meantime  they  had  arrived  at  the  guardhouse. 
The  Sergeant  stepped  back,  took  the  storekeeper  roughly 
by  the  shoulders,  and  shoved  him  up  in  front  of  a  tall, 
magisterial-looking  man  wearing  a  Captain's  straps,  who 
stood  frowning  before  the  ocor. 

"Search  him,"  said  the  Captain  briefly, 

The  Sergeant  went  through  the  storekeeper's  pockets 
with  a  deftness  that  bespoke  experience.  He  produced 
a  small  amount  of  money,  some  of  it  in  fractional  cur- 
rency and  Confederate  notes,  a  number  of  papers,  a  plug 
of  tobacco,  and  some  other  articles.  He  handed  these  to 
the  Captain,  who  hastily  looked  over  them,  handed  back 
the  tobacco  and  other  things  and  the  small  change. 

"Give  these  back  to  him,"  he  said  briefly.  "Turn  the 
rest  of  the  money  over  to  the  hospital  fund.  Where's 
our  barber?  Shave  his  head,  call  up  the  fifers  and  drum- 
mers, and  drum  him  out  of  camp  at  once.  I  haven't 
time  to  waste  on  him." 

Before  he  had  done  speaking  the  guards  had  the  store- 
keeper seated  on  a  log,  and  were  shearing  his  hair. 

"General,"  shouted  the  Deacon. 

"That's  a  Capain,  you  fool,"  said  one  of  the  guards  , 
"Captain,  then,"  yelled  the  Deacon. 
"Who  is  that  man?"  asked  the  Cap  ain  severeh 
^He's  his  partner,"  said  the  Lieutenant. 
"Serve  him  the  same  way,"  said  the  Captain  shortly, 
turning  to  go. 

The  Deacon's  knees  smote  together.  He,  a  Deacon  of 
the  Baptist  Church,  and  a  man  of  stainless  repute  at 
home,  to  have  his  head  shaved  and  drummed  out  of 


THE  DEACON  COXTINUES  TO  ACQUIPvE  EXPERIENCE.  191 


camp.  He  would  rather  die  at  once.  The  guards  had 
laid  hands  on  him. 

"Captain,"  he  yelled  again,  "it's  all  a  horrible  mis- 
take.   I  had  nothin'  to  do  with  this  man." 

"Talk  to  the  Lieutenant,  there,"  said  the  Captain, 
moving  off.    "He  will  attend  to  you." 

The  Lieutenant  was  attentively  watching  the  harbor- 
ing operation.  "Cut  it  close — closer  yet,"  he  admonished 
the  barber. 

"Lieutenant I  Lietitenant I"  pleaded  the  Deacon,  awk- 
wardly saluting. 

"Stand  back;  I'll  attend  to  yoti  next,"  said  the  Lieu- 
tenant impatiently.    "Xow,  tie  his  hands  behind  him." 

The  Lietitenant  turned  toward  the  Deacon,  and  the 
barber  picked  up  his  shears  and  made  a  step  in  that 
direction.  Just  in  the  extremity  of  his  danger  the  Dea- 
con caught  sight  of  the  Captain  of  Co.  Q  walking  toward 
Headquarters. 

"Capt.  McGillicuddy!  Capt.  McGillictiddy I  come  here 
at  once!  Come  qtiickl"  he  called  in  a  voice  Avhich  had 
been  trained  to  long-distance  work  on  the  AYabash  bot- 
toms. ^ 

Capt.  MeGillicuddy  looked  up,  recognized  the  waving 
of  the  Deacon's  bandana,  and  hastened  thither.  Fortu- 
nately he  knew  the  Provost  officers,  there  were  explana- 
tions all  around,  and  profuse  apologies,  and  just  as  the 
fifes  and  drums  struck  up  the  "Eogue's  March"  behind 
the  luckless  storekeeper,  who  had  to  step  off  in  front  of  a 
line  of  leveled  bayonets,  the  Deacon  walked  away  arm-in- 
arm with  the  Capt>ain.   

"I'm  not  goin'  to  let  go  o'  you  till  I'm  safe  back  in  our 
own  place,"  he  said.  "My  gracious!  think  of  havin'  my 
head  shaved  and  marched  off  the  way  that  feller's  bein'." 

He'walked  into  the  cabin  and  stirred  up  the  beans. 

*'The  wartei's  biled  off,"  said  he  to  himself,  "but  they 


102 


(SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


haint  been  in  nigh  as  hot  a  place  as  I  have.  I  guess  the 
boys '11  have  to  do  with  a  plain  dinner  to  day.  I'm  not 
goin'  to  stir  out  o'  this  place  agin  unless  they're  with 
me." 

He  put  his  hand  into  his  pocket  for  his  bandana  and 
felt  the  roll  of  bills,  which  he  had  altogether  forgotten  in 
his  excitement. 

His  face  was  a  study. 


TnorBLED  WITH  A  QUESTIOX  OF  COXSCIEXCE.  193 


CHAPTER  XIX.. 

THE  DEACOX  TROUBLED  WITH  A  QUESTION  OF  COXSCIEXCE. 
HE  ALSO  GOES  OUT  WITH  A  FOILIGIXG  PAETY. 

From  the  door  of  the  cabin  the  Deacon  could  see  the 
fort  on  which  the  boys  were  piling  up  endless  cubic  yards 
of  the  red  soil  of  Tennessee.  As  he  watched  them,  with 
an  occasional  glance  at  the  beans  seething  in  the  kettle^ 
fond  memories  rose  of  a  woman  far  away  on  the  AYabash 
who  these  many  years  had  thought  and  labored  for  his 
comfort  in  their  home,  while  he  labored  within  her  sight 
on  their  farm.  It  was  the  first  time  in  their  long  married 
life  that  he  had  been  away  from  her  for  such  a  length  of 
time.  ■  '■-  ■    -  - 

"I  believe  I'm  gittin'  real  homesick  to  see  !Mariar/'  he 
said  with  a  sigh.  "I'd  give  a  good  deal  for  a  letter  from 
her.  I  do  hope  everything  on  the  farm's  all  right.  I 
think  it  is.  I'm  a  little  worried  about  Brown  Susy,  the 
mare,  but  I  think  she'll  pick  up  as  the  weather  settles. 
I  hope  her  fool  colt,  that  I've  give  Si,  won't  break  his  leg 
nor  nothin'  while  I'm  away." 

Presently  he  saw  the  men  quit  work,  and  he  turned  to 
get  read  J  for  the  boys.  He  covered  the  rough  table  with 
newspapers  to  do  duty  for  a  cloth^  he  £iad  previoiislv 
scoured  up  the  tinware  to  its  utmost  brightness  and 
cleanliness,  and  while  the  boys  were  washing  off  the  ac- 
cumulations of  clay,  and  liberally  denouncing  the  man 
who  invented  fort  building,  and  even  West  Point  for  edu- 
catins:  men  to  pursue  the  nefarious  art,  he  dished  out  the 
s mokin g  via n d s . 

"'Upon  my  word,  Pap,"  said  Si,  as  he  helped  himsolf 
liberally,  "you  do  beat  us  cookin'  all  holler.  Your  beaua 
4 


194 


m  .  ELJIQG   AND   SHORTY.  . 


taste  almost  as  good  as  mpther's.    We  must,  git  you  to  , 
give  us  some  lessons."  ,  ,  > 

"Yes;  you're  a  boss  cook/*  said  Shorty,  Avith  Ms  ijiouth 
full.    "Better  not  let  Gen.  Rosecrans  find  out^hoAv  .well^ 
you  kin  bile  beans,  or  he'll  have  you  drafted,  and  keep 
you  with  him  till  the  end  o'  the  war." 

After  supper  they  lighted  their  pipes  and  seated  them. 
^3lves  in  front  of  the  fire. 

"How'd  you  git  along  to-day,  Pap?"  asked  Si.    "I  hope 
you  didn't  have  no  trouble?" 

The  Deacon  took  his  pipe  out  of  his  .mouth,  .blew  a 
cloud  of  smoke,  and  considered  a  moment  before  reply- 
ing. He  did  not  want  to  recount  his ;  experiences,  at 
least,  until  he  had  digested  them  more  thoroughly.  He 
was  afraid  of  the  joking  of  the  boys,  and  still  m0i;e  that 
the  story  >vould  get  back  home.  Then,-h,e  was  si?ill  sore- 
ly perplexed  about  the  disposition  of  the  money.  He 
had  not  thought  that  out  yet,  by  a  great  deal.  But  the 
question  was  pjump  aiid  direct,  and  coii,cealment  and 
untruth  \vere  alike  absolutely  foreign  to  liis  nature. 
A-fter  a  minute's  p^use  he  decided  to  t©ll  the.whoje  story. 

"Well,  boys,"  he  began  with  a  shamefaced. look,  "1  had 
the  flamboyantest  racket  to-day  I've  had  yit." 

The  two  boys  took  their  pipes  out  and  regarded  him 
with  surprise.  ..  :  : 

"Yes,"  continued  he,  with  a  deep  sigh,  "it;  laid  away 
over  my  gittin'  down  here,  and  my  night  in  the  guard- 
Aiouse,  eveu.  You  see,  after  you  went  away  ,,!  began  to 
ehink  about  gittin'  up  something  a  little  extry  for  you  to 
«iat.  I  thought  about  it  for  awhile,  and  then  recollected 
seeing  a  little  grcKjery,  that'd  beeu  set  up  nigh  here  in  a. 
board  shanty."  ^  ,.  .  ^        ,  : 

'^X^Sy  we  know  about  it,''  said  Shorty,  exchanging  a  - 
look  with  gi.  r  —    ;  -  .     .  ,  ;   ,  ^ 

*?Well,"  continued  the  Deacon,    "I -concluded  that  I'd  ■ 


^I^OUBLED  WITH  A  QUESTION  OF  CONSCIENCE, 


195 


Jest  slip  over  there,  aud  mebbe  I  could  find  something 
that'd  give  variety  to  your  pork  and  beans.  He  didn't 
seem  to  have  much  but  canned  goods,  and  his  prices 
wuz  jest  awful.  But  I  wuz  determined  to  git  something, 
and  I  finally  bought  a  jug  o'  genuine  Injianny  maple 
aolassesj  a  chunk  o'  cheese,  and  a  can  o'  peaches.  I 


"HIT  MY  JUG  A  WELT  WITH  HIS  SWOKD.'^ 


had  to  pay  him  So  for  it.  He  said  he  had  to  charge  high 
on  account  o'  freight  rates,  and  I  remembered  that  I  had 
some  trouble  in  gittin*  things  down  here,  and  so  I  paid 
him.  He  wuz  very  peart  and  sassy,  and  it  was  take-it- 
or-leave-it-and-be-plaguey-quick-about-it  all  the  time. 
But  I  paid  my  $5,  gathered  the  things  up,  and  started 


196 


SI   KLEGO   AND  SHORTY. 


back  to  the  house.  I  hadn't  got  more'n  100  rods  away 
when  I  met  one  o'  these  officers  with  only  one  o'  them 
things  in  his  shoulder  straps"  

"A  First  Lieutenant,"  interjected  Si. 

"Yes,  they  called  him  a  Lieutenant.  He  spoke  very 
%ossy  and  cross  to  me,  and  hit  my  jug  a  welt  with  his 
sword.    He  broke  it,  and  what  do  you  suppose  was  in  it?'* 

"Whisky,"  said  Si  and  Shorty  simultaneously,  with  a 
shout  of  laughter. 

"That's  jest  what  it  wuz.  I  wuz  never  so  mortified  in 
my  life.  I  couldn't  say  a  word.  The  Lieutenant  abused 
me  for  being  a  partner  in  sellin'  whisky  to  the  soldiers — 
me,  Josiah  Klegg,  Patriarch  of  the  Sons  o'  Temperance, 
and  a  Deacon.  While  I  avuz  try  in'  to  tell  him  this  he  jab- 
bed his  sword  into  the  can  o'  peaches,  and  what  do  you 
suppose  was  in  that?" 

"Whisky,*'  yelled  Si  and  Shorty,  with  another  burst  of 
laughter. 

"That's  jest  what  it  wuz.  Then  one  o'  the  Lieutenant's 
inien  jerked  the  chunk  o'  cheese  away  and  broke  it 
open.    And  Avhat  do  you  suppose  was  in  that?" 

"Whisky,  of  course,"  yelled  the  boys  in  uncontrollable 
niirtli. 

"That's  jest  Avhat  it  wuz.  I  wuz  so  dumbfounded  that 
1  couldn't  say  a  word.  They  yanked  me  around  in  be- 
hind the  squad,  and  told  me  they'd  shave  my  head  and 
driim  me  out  o'  camp.  The  Lieutenant  took  his  men  up 
to  the  grocery  and  tore  it  down,  and  ketched  the  feller 
that  wuz  keepin'  it.  They  put  him  alongside  o'  me,  and 
tuk  us  up  to  the  guardhouse.  On  the  way  he  whispered 
to  me  that  they  wuz  likely  to  salt  him,  'cause  they 
knowed  him,  but  I'd  likely  git  off  easy.  He'd  made  $500 
clean  out  o'  the  business  already,  and  had  it  in  his 
clothes.  He'd  pass  it  over  to  me  to  keep  till  the  racket 
wuz  over,  when  he'd  divide  fair  and  square  with  me.  I 


TEOTTBLED  WITH  A  QUESTION  OF  CONSCIENCE.  197 


told  him  that  I'd  rather  burn  my  hand  off  than  tech  a 
dirty  dollar  o'  his  money,  but  he  dropt  it  into  my  over- 
coat pocket  all  the  same,  and  I  wuz  so  excited  that  I 
clean  forgot  all  about  it,  and  brung  it  away  with  me. 
"When  we  got  to  the  guardhouse  they  tuk  all  the  rest  of 
his  money  away,  shaved  his  head,  and  drummed  him  out 
o'  camp." 

"Yes,  we  saw  that,"  said  Si;  "but  didn't  pay  no  atten- 
tion to  it.  They're  drummin'  some  feller  out  camp 
nearly  every  day,  for  something  or  other. 

"1  don't  see  that  it  does  any  good,"  said  Shorty.  "It'd 
be  a  heap  better  to  set  'em  to  work  on  the  fortifications, 
That'd  take  the  deviltry  out  o'  'em." 

"When  they'd  got  through  with  him,"  continued  the 
Deacon,  "they  turned  their  attention  to  me.  I  never  wuz 
so  scared  in  all  my  born  days.  But  luckily,  jest  in  the 
nick  o'  time,  I  ketched  sight  o'  Capt.  McGillicuddy,  and 
hollered  to  him.  He  come  up  and  explained  things,  and 
they  let  me  go,  with  lots  o'  apologies.  When  I  got  back 
to  the  house,  I  felt  for  my  handkerchief,  and  found  that 
scalawag's  roll  o'  bills,  which  I'd  clean  forgot.    Here  it 

He  pulled  out  a  fat  roll  of  crisp  greenbacks.  Si  took 
them,  thumbed  them  over  admiringly,  counted  them,  and 
handed  them  to  Shorty,  who  did  the  same. 

"'Yes,  there's  over  §500  there,"  said  Si.  "What  are  you 
goin'  to  do  with  it.  Pap?" 

"That's  jest  what's  worrying  the  life  out  o'  me,"  an- 
swered his  father.  "By  rights  I  ought  to  throw  the  con- 
demned stuff  into  the  fire,  only  I  hold  it  a  great  sin  to^ 
destroy  property  of  any  kind." 

"What,  burn  all  that  good  money  up?"  said  Shorty  with 
a  whistle.  "You  don^t  live  in  an  insane  asylum  when 
you're  at  home,  do  you?" 

"'■'Twouldn't  be  right  to  b;;rn  it,  Pap,"  said  Si,  who  bet- 


198 


Stjt   KLEGG    AND  SHORTY. 


ier  imdersiood  the  rigidity  of  his  father's  principles. 
*'It'd  do  a  mighty  sight  o'  good  somewhere." 

"The  money  don't  belong  at  all  to  that  feller/'  mused 
the  Deacon.  "A  man  can't  have  no  property  in  likker. 
It's  wet  damnation,  hell's  broth,  to  nourish  murderers, 
thieves,  and  paupers.   It  is  the  devil's  essence,  with 


••PULLED  OUT  A  FAT  ROLL  OF  GREENBACKS." 


which  he  makes  widows  and  orphans.  Every  dollar  of  it 
is  minted  with  women's  tears  and  children's  cries  of 
hunger.  That  feller  got  the  money  by  violatin'  the  law 
on  the^one  hand  and  swindling  the  soldiers  on  the  other, 
and  corruptin'  them  to  their  ruin.  To  give  the  money 
back  to  him  'tvould  be  rewardin'  him  for  his  rascality. 


OUT  WITH  A  FOUAGING  PARTY. 


199 


It'd  be  like  givin'  a  thief  his  booty,  or  a  burglar  his 
plunder,  and  make  me  his  pardner." 

"You're  right  there,  Pap,"  assented  Si.  "You'd  jest 
be  settin'  him  up  in  business  in  some  other  stand.  Five 
hundred  dollars 'd  give  him  a  good  start.  His  hair '11  soon 
grow  agin." 

"The  worst  of  it,"  sighed  Shorty,  "is  that  it  am't  good 
likker.  Otherwise  it'd  be  different.  But  it's  pizener 
than  milk-sick  or  loco-weed.  It's  aqua-fortis,  fish-ber- 
ries, tobacco  juice  and  ratsbane.  That  stuff'd  eat  a  hole 
in  a  tin  pan." 

"The  Captain' turned  the  rest  o'  his  money  oyer  to  the 
hospital,"  continued  the  Deacon.    "I  might  do  that." 

"Neyer  do  in  the  w^orld.  Pap,"  protested  Si.  '  "Better 
burn  it  up  at  once.  It'd  be  the  next  w«rst  thing  to  giyin' 
it  back  to  him.  It'd  jest  be  pamperin'  and  encouragin' 
a  lot  o'  galoots  thiat  lay  around  the  hospitals  to  keep  out 
o'  fights.  Non^  o'  the  wounded  or  really  sick'd  git  the 
benefit  of  a  cent  of  it.  They  wu2  all  sent  away  weeks 
ago  to  Nashyilley  Louisyilley  and  back  home.  You  jest 
ought  to  see  that  bummer  gang.  Last  week  me  and 
Shorty  wuz  on  fatigue  duty  down  by  one  o^  the  hospitals. 
There  wuzzent  .nobody  in  the  hospital  but  a  few  ^sheII-» 
feyer'  shirks,  who're  too  lazy  to  work  on  the  fortifica- 
tions, and  we  sa^v  a  crowd  of  ciyilians  and  men  in  uni- 
form set  dowir  to  a  finer  dinner  than  you  kin  git  in  any 
hotel.  Shorty  wanted  to  light  some  shells  and  roll  m 
amongst  'em,  but  I  knowed  that  it'd  jest  make  a  muss 
that  we'd  haye  to  clean  up  afterward." 

"But  what  am  I  goin'  to  do  with  it?"  asked  the  Deacon 
4Bspairingly. ^  'tl  don^t  want  no  monfey:  inony  hands,  that 
4on.iti-beloi5g  to  me,  and  especially  sieh  money  as  that, 
whichi  seer^.s  to.  haye  a.  curse  to  eyery:  bill.  If  we  cojild 
only  find  out  the  inen  he  tuk  it  from'^^--r-  -  \. 
1  "Be  about  sts  easy,  as  driyiu' a;  l(^d  o'  hay  back  mto 


200 


SI  KLEGG   AND  SHOETY. 


the  field,  and  fitting  each  spear  o'  grass  back  on  the 
stalk  from  which  it  was  cut/'  interjected  Shorty. 

"Or  I  might  send  it  anonymously  to  the  Baptist  Board 
o'  Missions,"  continued  the  Deacon. 

"Nice  way  to  treat  the  little  heathens/'  objected  Si. 
"Send  them  likker  money."  ./ 

The  Deacon  groaned. 

"Tell  you  what  we  might  do,  Pap,"  said  Si,  as  a  bright 
idea  struck  him.  "There's  a  widder,  a  Union  woman, 
jest  outside  the  lines,  whose  house  wuz  burned  down  by 
the  rebels.  She  could  build  a  splendid  new  house  with 
$100— better'n  the  one  she  w^uz  livin'  in  before.  Send 
her  $1C0." 

"Not  a  bad  idee,"  said  the  Deacon  approvingly,  as  he 
poked  the  ashes  down  in  his  pipe  with  his  little  finger. 

"'And  Pap,"  continued  Si,  encouraged  by  the  reception 
of  this  suggestion,  "there's  poor  Bill  Ellerlee,  who  lost  his 
leg  in  the  fight.  He  used  to  drink  awful  hard,  and  most  * 
of  his  money  went  down  his  throat.  He's  got  a  wife  and 
tw^o  small  children,  and  they  hain't  a  cent  to  live  on, 
except  what  the  neighbors  gives.  Why  not  put  up  $200 
in  an  express  package  and  send  it  to  him,  marked  'from 
an  unknown  friend' 
,  "Good,"  accorded  the  Deacon. 

"And  Jim  Pocock,"  put  in  Shorty,  seeing  the  drift. 
*''Hc's  gone  home  with  a  bullet  through  his  breast.  His 
C^^l"  pretty  poor..  Why  not  send  him  $100  the  same 
way?'^  ' 

•'^l^^elicnt  idee,"  said  the  father.' 

"That  leaves  $100  yit,"  said  Si.    "If  you  care  to,  you 
kin  divide  it  between  Shorty  and  me,  and  we'll  use  it 
among  the  boys  that  got  hurt,  and  need  something." 
;  A  dubious  look  came  into  the  Deacon's  face. 
"You  needn't  be  afeard  of  us,  Pap,"  said  Si,  with  a  little 


OUT  WITH  A  FOEAGING  PAET^'  201 

blush.  "I  kin  promise  you  that  we  won't  use  a  cent 
ourselves,  but  give  every  bit  where  it  is  really  needed." 

'1  believe  you,my  son,"  said  the  Deacon  heartily, 
"We'll  do  jest  as  you  say." 

They  spent  the  evening  carrying  theii  plan  into  exe- 
cution. 

At  the  9  o'clock  roll-call  the  Orderly-Sergeant  an- 
nounced: 

'  "Co.  Q  to  go  out  with  a  forage-train  to-morrow  morning. 

This  was  joyful  news — a  delightful  variation  from  the 
toil  on  the  fortifications.  "Taps"  found  everybody  get- 
ting his  gun  and  traps  ready  for  an  excursion  into  the 
country. 

"You'd  like  to  go  with  us.  Pap,  wouldn't  you?"  asked 
Si,  as  he  looked  over  his  cartridge-bos  to  see  what  it  con- 
tained. 

"Indeed  I  would,"  replied  the  father.  "I'll  go  any- 
where with  you  rather  than  spend  such  another  day  in 
camp.  You  don't  think  you  will  see  any  rebels,  do -you?" 
he  asked  rather  nervously. 

"Don't  know;  never  kin  tell,"  said  Shorty  oracularly. 
^^Eebels  is  anywhere  you  find  'em.  Sometimes  they're 
seldomer  than  a  chaw  of  terbacker  in  a  Sunday-school. 
You  can't  find  one  in  a  whole  County.  Then,  first  thing 
you  know,  they're  thicker'n  fleas  on  a  dog's  back.  But 
we  won't  likely  see  no  rebels  to-morrow.  There  ain't  no 
great  passel  o'  them  this  side  o'  Puck  Eiver.  SiilL  ?\vj^'II 
take  our  guns  along,  jest  like  a  man  w^ears  a  ore^st-p'iii 
on  a  dark  night,  because  he's  used  to  it-"  ■  . 

"Can't  you  git  me  a  gun,  too?  I  think  it'd  be  company 
for  me,"  said  the  Deacon.  :  . 

"Certainly,"  said  Si.     -  - 

The  Deacon  stowed  himself  in  the  wagons  with  the 
rest  the  next  morning,  and  rode  out  with  them  through 
the  bright  sunshine,  that  gave  promise  of  the  soon  on- 


202 


»SI  KLEOG^   AND  SHORTY. 


coming  of  Spring.  For  miles  they  jolted  orer  the  exe- 
crable roads  and  through  the  shiftless,  run-down  country 
before  they  found  anything  worth  While  putting  in '  the 
wagons. 

*'Great  country,  Pap,"  said'  Si  suggestively. 
-  "Yes ;  it'd  be  a  great  country,"  said  his  father  disdain- 
fully, *'if  you  could  put  a  w^agonload  o'  manure  on  every 
foot  and  import  some  Injianny  men  to  take  care  of  it. 
The  water  and  the  sunshine  down  here  seem  all  right, 
but  the  land  and  the  people  and  the  pigs  and  stock  seen? 
to  be  cuUins  throwed  out  when  they  made  Injiailny." 

At  length  the  train  halted  by  a  double  log  house  of 
iniich  more  pretentious  character  than  any  they  had  so 
far  seen.  There  were  a  couple  of  well-  lied  ccrn-cribs,  a 
large  stack  of  fodder,  and  other  evidences  of  plenty.  "The 
Deacon's  practiced  eye  noticed  that  there  Avas  no- stock 
in  the  fields,  but  Si  explained  this  by  saying  that  every- 
thing on  hoofs  had  been  driven  off  to  supply  the  rebel 
army.  '^They're  now  trying  to  git  a  corn-crib  and  a  fcd- 
der-stack  with  four  legs,  but  hain't  succeeded  so  far.-'  ■ 

The  Captain  ordered  the  fence  thrown  down  and  tlie 
wagons  driven  in  to  be  filled.  The  surrounding  hcrizoli 
was  scanned  for  signs  of  rebels,  but  none  appeared  any^ 
where.  The  landscape  was  as  tranquil,  as  peacc-brcaih' 
ing  as  a  Spring  morning  on  the  Wabash,  and  the  Deacon's 
mind  reverted  to  the  condition  of  things  on  his  farm. 
It  was  tod  wet  to  plow,  but  he  would  like  to  take  a  walk 
over  the  fields  and  see  how  his  wheat  had  come  oui,  and 
look  over  the  peacli-buds  and  ascertain  how  they  had 
stood  the  Winter.  He  noticed  how  some  service-trees, 
had"  already  unfolded  their  white  petals,  like  flags  of 
truqe  breaking  the  long  arjray  of  green  cedars  and  rusiy- 
brown  oaks. 

5  Ther  company^- stacked  arnis  in^  the  foiad,  the  Captain 
went  to  direct  the  filling  of  the  wagons,  and  Si  and 


OLT  WITH  A  FORAGING  PARTY. 


203 


Shorty  started  on  a  private  rcconnoissance  for  something 
for  their  larder. 

The  Deacon  strolled  around  the  yard  for  awhile  in- 
specting the  buildings  and  farm  implements  with  an  eye 
of  professional  curiosity,  and  arrived  at  very  unfavorable 
opinions,  lie  then  walked  up  on  the  porch  of  the  house, 
where  a  woman  of  about  his  own  age  sat  in  a  split-bot- 
tomed rocking-chair  knitting  and  viewing  the  proceed- 
imrs  with  frowning  eyes. 

''Good  day,  ma'am,"  said  he.    "Warm  day,  ma'am." 

^'"Taint  as  warm  as  it  orter  be  for  sich  fellers  as  yo'uns, 
she  snapped.  "You'd  be  in  the  brimstone  pit  if  you  had 
your  desserts." 

The  Deacon  always  tried  to  be  goodliumored  with  an 
angry  woman,  and  he  thought  he  would  try  the  effect  of 
a  little  pleasantry.  "I'm  a  Baptist,  ma'am,  and  they  say 
us  Baptists  are  tryin'  to  put  out  that  fire  with  cold 
water." 

"Yoti  a  Babtist?''  she  answered  scornfully.  "The  hot 
place  is  full  o'  jest  sich  Babtists  as  yo'tms  air,  and 
they're  making  room  for  more.  "We'uns  air  Babtists  our*- 
selves,  but,  thank  the  Lord,  not  o'  your  kind.  Babtists 
air  honest  people.  Babtists  don't  go  about  tne  country 
robbin'  and  murderin'  and  stealin'  folkses'  corn.  Don't 
tell  me  you  air  a  Babtist,  for  I  know  you  air  a-lyin',  md 
that's  the  next  thing  to  killin'  and  stealin'." 

"But  I  am  a  Baptist,"  persisted  the  Deacon,  "and  havo 
bin  for  30  year — regular,  free-will,  close-communion,  total- 
immersion  Baptist.  "We  have  some  Campbellites,  a  few 
Six  Principle  Baptists,  and  some  Hard  Shells,  but  the 
heft  of  us  air  jest  plain,  straight-out  Baptists.  But, 
speakin'  o'  cold  water,  kin  you  give  me  a  drink?  I'm 
powerful  dry." 

"Thai's  water  down  in  the  crick,  thar,"  she  said,  with, 
a  motion  of  her  knitting  in  that  diiection.   ^'It's  as  fur 


204 


BI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


for  me  as  it  is  for  you.  Go  down  thar  and  drink  all  you 
like.  Lucky  you  can't  carry  the  crick  away  with  yo'uns. 
Yo'uns 'd  steal  it  if  yo'uns  could." 

"You  donH  seem  to  be  in  a  good  humor,  ma'am,"  said 
the  Deacon,  maintaining  his  pleasant  demeanor  and 
tone. 

"Well,  if  you  think  that  a  passel  o'  nasty  Yankees  is 
kalkerlated  to  put  a  lady  in  a  good  humor  you're  even  a 
bigger  fool  than  you  look.  But  I  haint  no  time  to  waste 
jawin'  you.  If  you  want  a  drink  thar's  the  crick.  Go 
and  drink  your  fill  of  it.  I  only  wish  it  was  a's'nic,  to 
pizen  you  and  your  whole  army." 

She  suddenly  stopped  knitting,  and  bent  her  eyes 
eagerly  on  an  opening  in  the  woods  on  a  hill-top  whence 
the  road  wound  down  to  the  house.  The  Deacon's  eyes 
followed  hers,  and  he  saw  unmistakable  signs  of  men  in 
butternut  clothes.  The  woman  saw  that  he  noticed 
them,  and  her  manner  changed. 

"Come  inside  the  house,"  she  said  pleasantly,  "and 
I'll  git  you  a  gourdful  of  .water  fresh  from  the  spring." 

"Thankee,  ma'am;  I  don't  feel  a  bit  dry,"  answered  the 
Deacon,  with  his  eyes  fastened  on  the  hill-top.  "Si, 
Shorty,  Capt.  McGillicuddy,"  he  yelled. 

*^Shet  your  head,  and  come  into  the  house  this  min- 
ute, you  nasty  Yankee,  or  I'll  slash  your  fool  head  off," 
ordered  the  woman,  picking  up  a  corn-cutter  which  lay 
i^n  the  porch,  and  starting  for  hirn. 

The  Deacon  was  inside  the  railing  around  the  porch, 
and  he  had  not  jumped  a  fence  for  20  years.  But  he 
cleared  the  railing  as  neatly  as  Si  could  have  done  it, 
and  ran  bareheaded  down  the  road,  yelling  at  the  top  of 
his  voice. 

He  was  not  a  minute  too  soon— not  soon  enough.  A 
full  company  of  rebel  cavalry  came  dashing  down  out  of 
the  woods,  yelling  like  demons- 


on  WITH  A  foragixct  party. 


205 


^'itlioiit  wailing'  to  form,  ilie  men  of  Co.  Q  rrai  to  tlieir 
guns  and  l^egan  tiring"  frc»m  fence-c I'lners  and  beliind 
trees.  Cap:.  ]\IcGiliicuddy  took  tlie  first  squad  ^liat  lie 
came  to  and.  running  forward  a  little  way.  made  a  liasty 
line  and  opened  lire.  Others  saw  the  advantage  of  the 
position  and  ran  up  to  him. 

The  Deacon  snatched  up  a  gun  and  joined  the  Cap- 
tain. 

''I  never  wtiz  subject  to  the  'buck  fever.'''  he  muttered 
to  himself,  ''and  I  won't  allow  myself  to  be  now.  I  re- 
member iesT  how  Jineral  Jackson  told  his  men  to  shoot 
down  to  Xew  Orleans.  I'm  going  to  salt  one  o'  them  fel- 
lers as  sure  as  my  name's  Josiah  Iv]eo-g.-' 

He  took  a  long  breath,  to  steady  himself,  as  he  i lined 
the  Captain,  picked  out  a  man  on  a  bay  horse  that 
seemed  to  be  the  rebels"  Captain,  and  caught  his  breast 
ftilly  through  the  hindsight  before  he  pulled  the  trigger. 
Through  the  smoke  he  saw  his  man  tumble  from  his 
horse. 

''Got  him.  anyway.'''  he  muttered;  ''now.  how  in  the 
world  kin  I  load  this  plaguey  gun  agin'?"' 

At  that  instant  a  rebel  bullet  bit  a  piece  out  of  his  ear, 
btit  he  paid  no  attention  to  it. 

''Gi'  me  that  cartridge.''"  he  said  to  a  man  next  to  him, 
who  had  just  bitten  off  the  end  of  one;  'T  can't  do  it.'' 

The  man  handed  him  the  cartridge,  which  the  Deacon 
rammed  home,  but  before  he  could  hnd  a  cap  ;he  fight 
was  OTex.  and  the  rebels  were  seeking  the  shelter  of  the 
woods. 

The  Deacon  managed  to  get  a  cap  on  his  gtm  in  time 
to  take  a  long-distance,  ineffective  shot  at  the  rebels  as 
they  disappeared  in  the  woods. 

They  hastily  buried  one  rebel  who  had  been  killed, 
and  picked  up  those  who  had  beeis  \vounded  and  carried 
them  into  the  house^  where  they  weie  made  as  comfortable 


206 


<SI   KLEGG    AND  SHORTY. 


as  possible.  Among  them  was  the  man  whcm  ihe  Dea- 
con had  aimed  at.  He  was  found  to  have  a  wound 
through  the  fleshy  part  of  his  hip,  and  proved  to  be  the 
son  of  the  woman  of  the  house. 

As  soon  as  the  fight  w^as  over  Si,  full  of  solicitude, 
sought  his  father.  He  found  him  wiping  the  blood  from 
his  ear  with  his  bandana. 

"It's  nothin',  son;  absolutely  nothin',"  said  the  old 
gentleman  with  as  much  pride  as  any  recruit.  "Don't 
hurt  as  much  as  a  scratch  from  a  briar.  Some  feller 
what  couldn't  write  put  his  mark  on  me  so's  he'd  know 
me  agin.  But  I  fetched  that  feller  on  the  bay  hoss.  I'm 
glad  I  didn't  kill  him,  but  he'll  keep  out  o'  devilment  for 
sometime. 


THE    EMANCirATION  PROCLAMATION. 


CHAPTER  XX.  ■ 

THE  DEACON  CARRIES  OUT  THE  EMANCIPATION  PROCLAMA- 
TION. 

'Tap/'  said  Si,  as  they  were  riding  back,  comfortably 
seated  on  a  load  of  corn-fodder,  "now  that  it's  all  over, 
I'm  awfully  scared  about  you.  I  can't  forgive  myself  for 
tunnin'  you  up  agin  such  a  scrape.  I  hadn't  no  idee 
that  there  wuz  a  rebel  in  the  whole  County.  If  anything 
had  happened  you  it'd  just  killed  mother  and  the  girls, 
and  then  I'd  never  rested  till  I  got  shot  myself,  for  I 
wouldn't' ve  wanted  to  live  a  minute." 

"Pshaw,  my  son,"  responded  his  father  rather  testily; 
"you  ain't  my  guardeen,  and  I  hope  it'll  be  a  good  many 
years  yit  before  you  are.  I'm  mighty  glad  that  I  went. 
There  was  something  Providential  in  it.  I'm  a  good  deal 
of  a  Quaker.  I  believe  in  the  movin's  of  the  Spirit.  The 
spirit  moved  me  very  strongly  to  go  with  you,  and  I  now 
see  the  purpose  in  it.  If  I  hadn't,  them  fellers  might've 
got  the  bulge  on  you.  I  seen  them  before  any  o'  you  did, 
and  I  fetched  down  their  head  devil,  and  I  feei  that  I 
helped  you  a  good  deal." 

"Indeed  you  did,"  said  Shorty  earnestly.  "You  ought 
ha^e  a  brevet  for  your  'conspicuous  gallantry  in  actiouc' 
I  think  the  Colonel  will  give  you  one.  You  put  an  ounc# 
o'  lead  to  particularly  good  use  in  that  feller's  karkiss. 
I  only  wish  it'd  bin  a  little  higher  up,  where  it'd  a-meas- 
ured  him  for  a  wooden  overcoat," 

"I'm  awful  glad  I  hit  him  jest  where  I  did,"  responded 
the  Deacon.  "I  did  have  his  heart  covered  with  my 
sights,  and  then  I  pulled  down  a  little.  He  was  pizen,  I 
knowj  but  I  wanted  to  give  him  a  chance  to  repent." 


208 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY 


"He'll  repent  a  heap/'  said  Shorty  incredulously. 
*^He'll  lay  around  the  house  for  the  next  six  months,  study- 
in'  up  new  deviltry,  and  what  he  can't  think  of  that  shc- 
cesh  mother  o'  his '11  put  him  up  to.  Co.  Q,  and  partic- 
ularly the  Hoosier's  Eest^  is  the  only  place  you'll  find  a 
contrite  heart  and  a  Christian  spirit  cultivated." 

"That  reminds  me,"  said  Si;  "we  haint  licked  the 
Wagonmaster  yit  for  throwin'  cartridges  down  our 
chimbley«" 

"Blamed  if  that  ain't  so,"  said  Shorty.  "I  knowed  I'd 
forgotten  some  little  thing. ,  It's  bin  hauntin'  my  mind 
for  days.  I'll  jest  tie  a  knot  in  my  handkerchief  to  re- 
member that  I  must  tend  to  that  as  soon's  we  git  back." 

"I'm  quite  sure  that  I  don't  want  another  sich  a  tussle, 
meditated  the  Deacon.  "I  never  heerd  anything  sound 
^  so  murdern'  wicked  as  them  bullets.  A  painter's  screech 
on  a  dark  night  or  a  rattler's  rattle  wuzzent  to  be  com- 
pared to  'em.  It  makes  my  blood  run  cold  to  think  o' 
'em.  Then,  if  that  feller  that  shot  at  me  had  wobbled 
his  gun  a  little  to  the  left,  Josiah  Klegg's  name  would 
We  bm  sculped  on  a  slab  o'  white  marble,  and  Maria 
would 've  bin  the  Widder  Klegg.  I  wish  the  war  wuz  over, 
and  Si  and  Shorty  safe  at  home.  But  their  giddy  young 
pates  axe  so  full  o'  dumbed  nonsense  that  there  haint 
no  room  for  scare.  But,  now  that  I'm  safe  through  it,  I 
wouldn't  've  missed  it  for  the  best  cow  on  my  place. 
After  all,  Providence  sends  men  where  they  are  needed, 
and  He  certainly  sent  me  out  there. 

^•Then,  I'll  have  a  good  story  to  tell  the  brethren  and 
sisters  some  night  after  prayer  meetin's  over.  It'll  com- 
pletely offset  that  story  'bout  my  comin'  so  near  gittin' 
my  iiead  shaved.  How  the  ungodly  rapscallions  would' ve 
gloated  over  Deacon  Klegg's  havin'  his  head  shaved  an' 
bein'  drummed  out  o'  camp.  T.bat  thing  makes  me 
shiver  worse'n  the  whistlin'  o'  theia  awful  bulleto.  But 


THE    El\rANCIPATION  PROCLAMATION. 


209 


they  can't  say  notliin'  now.    Deacon  Klegg's  bin  a  credit 

to  the  church." 
They  were  nearing  camp.  The  Captain  of  Co.  Q  ordered: 
''Corpora]  Klegg,  take  your  wagon  up  that  right-hand 

road  to  the  Quartermaster's  corral  of  mulesi  and  bring 

me  a  receipt  for  it." 


"I'M  GWINE  TEE  KILL  YE,  EIGHT  HEEE."       "  ' 


Si  turned  the  wagon  off;  and  had  gone  but  a  rew 
hundred  yards,  when  he  and  Shorty  saw  a  house  at  a 
little  distance,  which  seemed  to  promise  to  furnish  some- 
thing eatable.  He  and  Shorty  jumped  off  and  cut  across 
the  fields  toward  it,  telling  the  Deacon  they  would  rejoin 
him  before  he  reached  the  picket-line,  a  mile  ©r  *o 
ahead. 

The  Deacon  ]ogged  on,  musing  intently  of  the  stirring 


210 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


events  of  the  day,  until  he  was  recalled  to  the  things 
immediately  around  him  by  hearing  a  loud  voice  shout: 

"Stop,  there,  you  black  scoundrel!  I've  ketched  ye. 
Pm  gwine  to  blow  your  ornery  head  off!" 

He  looked  up  and  saw  a  man  about  his  own  age, 
dressed  in  butternut  homespun,  and  riding  a  fine  horse. 
He  wore  a  broad-brimmed  slouch  hat,  his  clean-shaven 
face  was  cold  and  cruel,  and  he  had  leveled  a  double- 
barreled  shotgun  on  a  fine-looking  negro,  who  had  leaped 
over  from  the  field  into  the  middle  of  the  road,  and  was 
standing  there  regarding  him  with  a  look  of  intense  dis- 
appointment and  fear. 

"You  devil's  ape,"  continued  the  white  man,  with  a 
torrent  of  profanity,  "I've  ketched  ye  jest  in  the  nick  o' 
time.  Ye  w^uz  makin'  for  the  Yankee  camp,  and  'd  al- 
most got  thar.  Ye  thought  yer  40  acres  and  a  mule  wuz 
jest  in  sigfit,  did  ye?  Mebbe  ye  reckoned  y'd  git  a  white 
wife,  and  be  an  officer  in  the  Yankee  army.  I'm  gwine 
to  kill  ye,  right  here,  to  stop  yer  deviltry,  and  skeer  off 
others  that  air  o'  the  same  mind." 

"Pray  God,  don't  kill  me,  massa,"  begged  the  negro. 
"I  hain't  done  nuffin'  to  be  killed  fob." 

"Haint  done  nothin'  to  be  killed  for!"  ''shouted  the 
white  man^  with  more  oaths.  "Do  ye  call  sneakin'  off 
to  jine  the  enemy  and  settin'  an  example  to  the  other 
niggers  nothin'?  Git  down  on  yer  knees  and  say  yer 
prayers,  if  ye  know  any,  for  ye  aint  a  minnit  to  live." 

The  trembling  negro  dropped  to  his  knees  and  began 
mumbling  his  prayers. 

"What's  the  matter  there?"  asked  the  Deacon  of  the 
teamster. 

"0,  some  man's  ketched  his  nigger  tryin'  to  run  away 
to  our  fines,  and's  goin'  to  kill  him/'  answered  the  team- 
ster indifferently. 


THE   EMAXCIPATIOX  PE0CLAMATI0J7. 


211 


*'Goin'  to  kill  liim/'-  gasped  the  Deacon.  "Are  we  goin' 
to  'low  that?'' 

"'Tamt  none  o-  my  business/'  said  the  teamster  coollv. 
''It's  his  nigger;  I  reckon  he's  aright  to  do  as  he  pleases!" 


"SAY,  YOU;  ^HAT  AEE  YOU  GOIN''  TEE  DO  ^ITH  THAT  MAX?'^ 

don't  reckon  nothin'  o'  the  kind,"  said  the  Deacon 
indignantl}'.    '''I  won't  stand  and  see  it  done." 

"Better  not  mix  in,"  admonished  the  teamster.  "Them 
air  Southerners  is  pretty  savage  folks,  and  don't  like 
any  meddlin'  twixt  them  and  their  niggers.  "What's  a 
nigger,  anyway?" 

"Amounts  to  about  as  much  as  a  whitelivered  team- 
ster," said  the  Deacon  hotly.  "I'm  goin'  to  mix  in.  T-'ll 
not  see  any  man  murdered  while  I'm  around.    Say^  you," 


^12  SI   KLEGG   AND  SHOETY. 


to  the  white  man;  "what  are  you  goin'  tor  do  with  that 
man?'' 

"Mind  yer  own  bizniss,"  replied  the  white  man,  after 
a  casual  glance  at  the  Deacon,  and  seeing  that  he  did 
not  wear  a  uniform.  "Keep  yer  mouth  shet  if  ye  know 
when  y're  well  off." 

"0,  massa,  save  me!  save  me!"  said  the  negro,  jump- 
ing up  and  running  toward  =the  Deacon,  who  had  slipped 
down  from  the  fodder,  and  was  standing  in  the  road. 

"All  right,  Sambo;  don't  be  scared.  He  shan't  kill  you 
while  I'm  around,"  said  the  Deacon. 

-  "I  <:ell  ye  agin  to  mind  yer  own  bizniss  and  keep  yer 
mouth  shet,"  said  the  white  man  savagely.  "Who  air 
ye,  anyway?  One  o'  them  slinkin'  nigger-stealin'  Aboli- 
tionists, comin'  down  here  to  rob  us  Southerners  of  our 
property?" 

He  followed  this  with  a  torrent  of  profane  denunciation 
of  the  "whole  vile  Abolition  creiv^" 

"Look  here.  Mister,"  said  the  Deacon  calmly,  reaching 
back  into  the  wagon  and  drawing  out  a  musket,  "I'm  a 
member  o'  the  church  and  a  peaceable  man.  But  I 
don't  %w  no  man  to  call  me  names,  and  I  object  to 
swearin'  of  all  kinds.  I  want  to  argy  this  question 
with  you,  quietly,  as  between  man  and  man." 

He  looked  down  to  see  if  there  w^as  a  cap  on  the  gun.  - 

"What's  the  trouble  'twixt  you  and  this  man  here?" 

"That  aii^'t  no  man,"  said  the  other  hotly.  "That's 
my  nigger— bought  with  my  money.  He's  my  property. 
I'lre  ketehed  him  tryin'  to  run  away— tryin'  to  rob  me  of 
$1,2()0  worth  o'  property  and  give  it  to  our  enemies.  I'm 
gwine  to  kill  him  to  stop  others  from  doin'  the  same 
thing." 

"Indeed  you're  not,"  said  the  Deacon,  putting  his 
thumb  on  the  hammer. 

''Do  ye  mean  to  say  you'll  stop  me?"  said  the  master, 


THE   E^IAXQPATION  PE0CLA:!»IATI0N. 


213 


starting  to  raise  liis  shotgun^  wliich.  lie  had  let  fall  a 
little. 

"Something  like  that,  if  not  the  exact  words,"  an- 
swered the  Deacon  calmly,  looking  at  the  sights  of  the 
musket  with  an  interested  air. 

The  master  resumed  his  volley  of  epithets. 

The  Deacon's  face  became  very  rigid,  and  the  musket 
was  advanced  to  a  more  threatening  position.  "I  told 
you  before,"  he  said,  "that  I  didn't  allow  no  man  to  call 
me  sich  names.  I  give  you  warnin'  agin.  I'm  liable  to 
fall  from  grace,  as  the  Methodists  say,  any  minnit.  I'm 
dumbed  sure  to  if  you  call  me  another  name." 

The  master  glared  at  the  musket.  It  was  clearly  in 
hands  used  to  guns,  and  the  face  behind  it  was  not  that 
of  a  man  to  be  fooled  with  beyond  a  certain  iimit.  He 
lowered  his  shotgun,  and  spoke  sharply  to  the  negro: 

"Sam,  git  'round  here  in  front  of  the  hoss,  and  gut  for 
home  at  once." 

"Shall  I  go,  mass'r?"  implored  the  negro  anxiously. 
*'He'll  done  kill  me,  sho'." 

"Stay  where  you  are,  till  I  finish'  talkin'  to  this  man/' 
commanded  the  Deacon.  "Are  you  a  loyal  man?"  he  in- 
quired of  the  master. 

^•Tf  ye  mean  loil  to  that  rail-splittin'  gorilla  in  Wash- 
ington," replied  the  master,  hotly;  "to  that  low-down, 
nigger-lovin' ,  nigger-stealin'"-^  

"Shet  right  up,"  said  the  Deacon,  bringing  up  his  gun 
in  a  flash  of  anger.  "You  shan't  abuse  the  President 
the  United  States  any  more'n  you  shall  nie,  nor  haii  so 
much.  He's  your  President,  whom  you  must  honor  and 
respect.  I  vron't  have  him  blackguarded  by  an  unhung 
rebel.  You  say  yourself  you're  a  rebel.  Then  you  have 
no  right  whatever  to  this  man,  and  Pm  goin'  to  confis- 
cate him  in  the  name  of  Abraliam  Lincoln .  President  o'* 
the  United  States,  an'  accordin'  to  his  proclamation  of 


214 


BI  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


emaucipatioii,  done  at  Washington,  District  o'  Columbia, 
in  the  year  of  our  Lord  eighteen  hundred  and  sixty-three 
and  of  our  Independence  the  87th." 

This  was  as  near  the  legal  formula  for  such  an  im- 
portant act  as  the  Deacon  could  think  of  at  the  moment. 
He  followed  it  up  by  an  order  not  nearly  so  sonorous,  but 
quite  to  the  point :  ^ 

"Now,  you  jest  turn  your  hoss  around  and  vacate  these 
parts  as  quick  as  you  can,  and  leave  me  and  this  colored 
man  alone.    We're  tired  o'  havin'  you  'round." 

The  master  was  a  man  of  sense.  He  knew-  that  there 
was  nothing  to  do  but  obey. 


WHAT  TO  DO  WITH  THE  FREEDMAN. 


215 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THERE  IS  SOME  TROUBLE  AS  TO  WHAT  TO  DO  WITH  THK 

FREEDMAN. 

-*What  is  ye  a-gwine  tub  do  wid  me,  mas'r?"  asked 
the  negro,  with  a  look  and  an  attitude  curiously  like  a 
forlorn  stray  dog  which  had  at  last  found  an  owner  and 
protector.  " 

"Wish  to  gracious  I  knowed,"  answered  the  Deacon, 
knitting  his  brows  in  thought.  "I  don't  know  as  I've 
anything  to  do  with  you.  Fve  about  as  much  idee  what 
to  do  with  you  as  I  would  with  a  whale  in  the  Wabash 
River.  Fm  neither  John  Brown  nor  a  colonization  society. 
Fve  about  as  much  use  for  a  nigger,  free  or  slave,  as  a 
frog  has  for  a  tail.  You're  free  now — that's  all  there  is 
of  it.  Nobody's  got  nothin'  to  do  with  you.  You've  got 
to  do  with  yourself — that's  all.  You're  your  own  master. 
You  go  your  way  and  let  other  folks  go  theirs." 

In  the  simplicity  of  his  heart  the  Deacon  thought  he 
had  covered  the  whole  ground.  What  more  could  the 
man  want,  who  had  youth,  health  and  strength,  than 
perfect  liberty  to  go  where  he  pleased  and  strive  for  what 
he  wanted? 

The  negro  looked  dazed  and  perplexed.  -  \^ 

[  "Isn't  yo'  a-gwine  tuh  take  me  wid  yo',  mas'r?"  lie 
asked. 

*Take  you  with  me!"  repeated  the  Deacon  in  astonish- 
ment and  some  petulance.  "Certainly  not.  I  don't  want 
you.  And  you  mustn't  call  me  master.  You  mustn't 
call  any  man  master.  You're  no  longer  a  slave.  You're 
your  own  master.    You're  free;  don't  you  understand?" 

"But  whah'm  I  tuh  go?"  reiterated  the  negro  hope- 
lessly. 


216 


SI  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


"G^  wiiere  you  please,"  repeated  the  Deacon  with  im- 
patience. "The  whole  world's  open  to  you.  Gp  to  the 
next  County;  go  to  Kaintucky,  Injianny,  Ohio,  Illinoy, 
Kaniskatky,  New  Guiney,  Jericho,  or  Polkinhorn's  tan- 
yard  if  you  like." 

"Afo'  God,  I  don't  know  what  tuh  do,  or  wha  tuh  go," 
sai^  the  negro  despairingly.  "If  yo'  leab  me  here,  I 
know  dat  ole  mas'r  '11  iin'  me  an'  done  kill  me  daid." 

"Niggers  is  like  mules,"  remarked  Groundhog  sagely. 
'^They  only  know  two  places  in  the  whole  world:  their 
master's  place  and  somewhere  else.  They  want  to  run 
away  from  their  master,  but  they  haint  nary  idee  whar  to 
go  when  they  run  away..  A  hoss  has  more  sense  'n  either 
a  nigger  or  a  mule.  When  he  lights  out  he's  got  some 
idee  o'  where  he  wants  t'  go.  I  tell  you;  jest  give  that 
nigger  to  me.  I  know  what  to  do  with  him.  I  know  a 
man  that'll  give  me  $100  for  him,  and  I'll  whack  up  fair 
and  square  with  you." 

"Shut  up.  you  mullet-headed  mule-whacker,"  said  the 
Deacon  irritably.  "You  haint  got  sense  enough  to  take 
care  o'  mules  right,  let  alone  a  man.  I  wouldn't  trust 
you  an  hour  with  the  poorest  team  on  my  place.  I'll  take 
care  o'  this  man  myself,  at  least,  until  I  kin  have  a  talk 
with  the  boys.    Here,  you  nigger,  what's  your  name?'* 

"Dey  call  me  Sam,  mas'r,"  replied  the  negro. 

"AYell,  we'll  change  that.  You're  a  free  man,  and  I'll 
give  you  another  name.  I'm  goin'  to  call  you  Abraham — 
Al3raham  Lincoln — tiie  grandest  name  in  the  world  to- 
day. Tut  short  I'll  call  you  Abe.  You  must  stop  callin' 
me,  or  anybody,  master,  I  tell  you.  You  just  call  me 
Mister  Klegg." 

"Mistuh— what?"  said  the.  negro,  puzzled. 

"Well,  jcsn  me  boss.  Now,  Abe,  climb  up  into  the 
wagon  here,  and  come  along  with  me." 

"He  can't  git  into  no  wagon  o'  mine,"  said  the  tef\mster 


WHAT  TO  DO  WITH  THE  FREEDMAN. 


217- 


surlily.  "Government  wagons  ain't  no  passenger  coaclies 
for  runaway  niggers.  I  didn't  hire  to  haul  niggers  on 
pleasure  excursions.  That  ain't  no  part  of  a  white  man's 
bizniss.   Let  him  walk  alongside." 

"You  dumbed  citizen,"  said  the  Deacon  angrily.  He 
had  been  in  camp  long  enough  to  catch  the  feeling  of  the 
men  tpward  the  Quartermaster's   civilian  employee^^ 


"DO  YOU  HEAR?    GIT  ON  YOUR  MULE  AT  OXCT.'=' 


"This  man  shall  ride  in  this  wagon  alongside  o'  me,  and 
you'll  drive  us  into  camp,  or  I'll  hnd  out  the  reason  wh^. 
Now  jest  gether  up  your  lines  and  start." 

"I  won't  take  no  slack  from  no  old  AYabash  hayseed 
like  yoii,"  responded  the  teamster  cordially.  "You  can't 
loss  me.    You  hain't  no  right.    You  can't  ring  me  in  to 


218 


ni  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


Kelp  you  steal  niggers,  unless  you  divide  with  me.  Yon 
come  out  here  in  the  road  and  I'll  punch  that  old  sorrel- 
top  head  o'  your'n." 

And  the  teamster  pranced  out  and  i»randished  his 
blacksnake  whip  menacingly. 

It  had  been  many  years  since  anybody  on  the  Wabash 
had  dared  Deacon  Klegg  to  a  match  in  fisticuffs.  The 
memory  of  some  youthful  performances  of  his  had  se- 
cured him  respectful  immunity.  His  last  affair  had 
been  a  severe  suppression  of  a  noted  bully  who  attempted 
to  "crowd  the  mourners"  at  a  camp-meeting  for  the  good 
order  of  which  the  Deacon  felt  himself  somewhat  respon- 
sible. It  took  the  bully  fully  six  months  to  get  over  it, 
mid  he  went  to  the  mourner's  bench  himself  at  the  next 
revival. 

The  Deacon  looked  at  the  gesticulating  teamster  a 
iiiniite,  and  the  dormant  impulse  of  his  youth  stirred 
again  within  him.  He  laid  his  gun  down,  and  calmly 
^lid  from  the  fodd.er  to  the  ground.  He  pulled  off  his 
coat  and  hat,  and  laid  them  on  the  wagon.  He  took  the 
quid  of  tobacco  from  his  mouth,  carefully  selected  a  place 
for  it  on  the  edge  of  the  wagon-bed,  laid  it  there  on  a 
piece  of  corn-husk,  and  walked  toward  the  teamster,  roll- 
mo"  up  his  sleeves.  _ 

The  effect  upon  the  monarch  of  the  mules  was  im- 
Biecliate  and  marked.  lie  stopped  prancing  around,  and 
began  to  look  alarmed. 

''Now,  don't  you  hit  me,"  he  yelled.  "I'm  the  driver  o' 
this  team,  and  in  Gov'ment  employ.  If  you  hit  me  I'll 
have  you  courtmartialed." 

;  .  "I'm  not  goin'  to  hit  j^ou,"  said  the  Deacon,  raising  a 
fist  as  big  as  a  small  ham,  "if  you  behave  yourself.  J 
want  you  to  shut  your  mouth,  and  git  on  your  mule  and 
itart  for  camp.    If  you  don't  'ten,d  to  youy  bizuess,  or 


WHAT  TO  BO  WITH  THE  FEEEDMAIT.  219 


give  me  any  more  o'  your  sass,  I'll  pound  the  melt  out  o' 
you.    D'  you  hear?   Git  on  your  mule  at  onct." 

The  teamster  did  as  he  ^yas  bid,  and  without  further 
discussion  of  the  civil  rights  of  freedmen  on  Government 
transports,  drove  on  till  they  came  up  to  where  the  boys 
were  nitting  on  a  fence-corner  waiting  for  theia, 


»'THE  BOYS  WERE  SITIING  ON  A  FENCE-CORNER  WAITING  FOR 

THEM.'' 

JSi  had  a  brace  of  chickens  tied  together  by  the  feet, 
and  Shorty  a  crock  of  honey  in  the  comb,  with  a  bag  of 
saleratus  biscuits  and  one  of  cornmeal,  and  a  number  of 
strings  of  dried  apples. 

"Bin  waitin'  for  you  a  good  while,  Pap.  What  kep'  you 
'0  long?   Break-down?"  said  Si. 


220 


ni   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


"No;  had  to  stop  and  argy  the  fugitive  slave  law  witli  a 
Southern  gentleman,  and  then  debate  niggers'  civil 
rights  with  the  teamster/'  said  the  Deacon.  Then  he 
told  them  the  story.  '^Here's  the  darky/'  he  said,  as  he 
concluded.  "Seems  to  be  a  purty  fair  sort  of  a  farm- 
hand, if  he  has  sense  enough  to  come  in  when  it  rains, 
which  I  misdoubt.  I  don't  know  what  in  the  world  to  do 
with  him.  But  I  brung  him  along,  till  I  could  talk  with 
you  boys,  because  if  I'd  left  him  out  there  that  old  snoozer 
with  a  shotgun'd  made  dead  meat  out  o'  him.  What  are 
we  goin'  to  do  with  him?" 

"Bo  with  him?"  said  Shorty.  "Do  everything  with  him. 
Take  him  into  camp  first.  Hire  him  out  to  the  Quarter- 
master. Let  him  wait  on  the  Captain.  Take  him  back 
home  with  you  to  help  on  the  farm  while  Si's  away. 
Jehosephat,  a  big  buck  like  that's  a  mighty  handy  thing 
to  have  about  the  house.  You  kin  learn  him  more  tricks 
L-d  a  week  than  he'd  learn  with  his  ow^ner  ij(i  <a  lifetime. 
"Say,  boy,  what's  your  name?" 

"S— — s-s/'  the  negro  began  to  say,  but  he  caught  the 
Deacon's  eye  upon  him,  and  responded  promptly,  "Abr'm 
Lincoln." 

"I  believe  the  nigger  kin  be  taught^,"  thought  the  Dea- 
con. "Probably  this's  some  more  o'  Providence's  work- 
in's.  Mebbe  He  brung  this  about  jest  to  give  me  my 
nhare  o'  the  work  o'  raisin  the  fallen  race." 

"Boys,"  said  he,  "I'm  glad  you've  got  something  good 
io  eat  there.  T^xem  chickens  seem  tol'ble  young  and  fat. 
1  hope  you  came  by  'em  honestly  ." 

"Well,  Pap,"  chuckled  Si,  "I  don't  know  as  a  man 
who's  been  gunnin'  around  for  another  man's  nigger, 
and  got  him,  is  jest  in  shape  to  ask  questions  how  other 
men  got  chickens  and  things;  but  I'll  relieve  your  mind 
by  sayin'  that  we  came  honestly  by  'em." 

"Yes;  thought  it  would  be  interestin'  to  try  that  way 


WHAT  TO  DO  WITH  THE  I^REEDMAN. 


221 


once,  for  a  change,"  said  Shorty.  ''Besides,  it  wuz  too 
near  camp  for  any  hornsAYOgglin.''  These  fellers  right 
around  camp  are  gettin'  on  to  the  names  o'  the  regi- 
ments. They're  learnin'  to  notice  200tli  Ind.  on  our 
caps,  and  f oiler  you  right  into  camp,  and  go  up  to  the 
Colonel.  We're  layin'  altogether  too  long  in  one  place. 
The  Army  o'  the  Cumberland  oughter  move." 

"We  paid  full  Talue,  C.  0.  D.,"  added  Si,  *'and  not  in 
Drake's  Plantation  Bitters  labels  nor  in  busted  Kala- 
mazoo bank  notes  neither.  I  think  fellers  that  pass 
patent-medicine  labels  and  business-college  advertise- 
ments on  these  folks  for  money,  oughter  to  be  tied  up  by 
the  thumbs.    It's  mean." 

"That's  what  I  say,  too,"  added  Shorty  with  virtuous 
indignation.  "Specially  when  you  kin  git  the  best  kind  o' 
Confederit  money  from  Cincinnati  for  two  cents  on  the  dol- 
lar.   I  always  lay  in  enough  o'  that  to  do  my  tradin'  with." 

"What's  that?  What's  that?"  gasped  the  Deacon. 
"Pas  sin'  Confederate  money  that  you  buy  in  Cincinnati 
at  two  cents  on  the  dollar?   Why,  that's  counterfeitin'." 

"That's  drawin'  it  a  little  too  fine,"  said  Shorty  argu- 
mentatively.  "These  flabbergasted  fools  won't  take 
greenbacks.  I  ofiered  the  v/oman  to-day  ^ome,  and  she 
said  she  wouldn't  be  fc^sd  dead  with  'em.  She  wanted 
Confedrit  money.  You  may  call  it  counterfeitin',  but  the 
whole  Southern  Confederisy  is  counterfeit,  from  its  Presi- 
dent down  to  the  lowest  Corporil.  A  dollar  or  two  more 
*  or  less  won't  make  no  difference.  This  feller  at  Cincin- 
nati has  got  just  as  much  right  to  print  notes  as  they 
have  in  Richmond 

"He  prints  'em  on  better  paper,  his  pictures  are  better, 
and  he  sells  his  notes  much  cheaper,  and  I  don't  see 
why  I  shouldn't  buy  o'  him  rather  than  o'  them.  I  be- 
lieve in  patronizin'  home  industry ." 

"Si,"  said  his  father,  in  horrified  tones,  "I  hope  you 


222 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTT. 


iiain^t  bin  passin*  none  the  Cincinnati  Confederate 
money  on  those  people." 

"I  hope  not^  Pap.  But  then,  you  know,  I  ain't  no 
bank-note  detector.  I  can't  tell  the  Cincinnati  kind  from 
the  Eichmond  kind,  and  I  never  try  very  hard.  All  Con- 
iedrit  money's  alike  to  me,  and  I  guess  in  the  end  it'll  be 
to  them.  Both  kinds  say  they'll  be  paid  six  months 
after  the  conclusion  of  peace  betwixt  the  Confederate 
States  and  the  United  States,  and  I  guess  one  stands 
jest  as  good  show  as  the  other.  The  woman  asked  me 
|2  apiece  for  these  chickens,  and  I  paid  her  in  the  Con- 
fedrit  money  I  happened  to  have  in  my  pocket.  I  didn't 
notice  whether  it  wuz  printed  in  Cincinnati  or  Eichmond. 
I  got  it  from  one  o'  the  boys  playin'  p — — .  I  mean  he 
paid  it  to  see  me."  He  gave  Shorty  a  furtive  kick  and 
whispered:  "Come  mighty  nigh  givin'  myself  away  that 
time." 

There  was  a  long  hill  just  before  they  came  in  sight  of 
the  entrance  to  the  camp,  and  they  got  out  and  helped 
the  mules  up.  They  walked  on  ahead  until  they  came 
to  the  top.  The  Deacon  looked  at  the  entrance,  and 
said: 

"I  declare,  if  there  isn't  that  owner  o'  this  nigger  waitin' 

{or  us/' 

"That  so?"  said  Si,  turning  his  eyes  in  that  direction. 
"x\nd  he's  got  some  officers  with  him.  There's  some  offi- 
cers jest  mean  enough  to  help  these  rebels  ketch  their 
niggers.    Fd  like  to  knock  their  addled  heads  off.'* 

"Jest  wait  till  we  git  discharged,  Si,  and  then  we  kin 
liclc  "em  as  much  as  we  want  to,"  said  Shorty.  "But 
we've  got  to  do  somethin'  noAv.  They  can't  see  us  yit. 
Deacon,  jest  take  yer  nigger  and  cut  down  around  through 
tne  crick  there  until  you  come  to  the  picket-line.  Then 
wait.  Me  and  Si'll  go  on  in^  and  come  around  and  find 
you." 


t\'HAT  TO  DO    >VITH  THE  FEEED]^IA^^. 


223 


'"^All  nght,''  assenied  tiie  Deacon,  who  was  falling  into 
camp  ways  with  remarkable  facility.  ''But  yoirVe  got  to 
look  OUT  for  that  leamster.  His  meanei'n  dog-fennel. 
He'll  Tell  everyTliing.'' 

''Good  point."  said  Si.  ''ATe  mnst  'tend  to  hrm.  See 
liere.  Groimdliog."'  he  conTinned.  walking  back  to  The 
teamsTer;  '''yon  dun'r  know  nothin"  abont  that  old  man 
and  nigger  rhar  gOT  on  yonr  wagon.  They  slipped  off  inro 
the  woods  Avhen  yon  wiizn't  lookin'^  while  yon  wiiz  bnsv 
wirli  yonr  mnles.  and  yon  don't  know  whether  they  went 
to  the  riaht  or  rhe  lefr.  up  The  road  or  down  It.''" 

''T-^  YOU  s'pose  km  goin'  to  help  sreal  a  nigger,  and 
rb.".  -le  abonr  ir  to  rhe  officers,  for  you  galoots^  and  all 
for  nothin'?''  said  the  teamster.  ''You  are  blamed  fools, 
that's  all  I've  got  to  say.'"' 

'•'Look  here.  Grotindhog."  said  Shorty,  coming  up  close^ 
with  a  portentous  doubled  fist.  ''You  know  me,  and 
you  know  Si.  You  know  that  either  of  us  can  maul  the 
head  off  you  in  a  minute,  whenever  we've  a  mind  to,  and 
we're  likely  any  time  to  have  a  mind  to.  We're  a  durued 
sight  nearer  you  all  the  time  Than  any  o'  The  omcers. 
and  you  can't  git  away  from  us,  though  you  may  from 
them.  They  may  buck  and  gag  you,  as  they  ought  to. 
'bout  e^-ery  day.  but  that  won't  be  nothin'  to  the  welting 
one  of  us  ''11  give  you,  Xow.  you  tell  that  story,  jest  as 
Si  said;  and  stick  to  it.  or  vott  won't  have  a  whole  b^Tre 
in  vour  carcass  by  the  end  o'  the  weeK." 

AYlien  they  came  up  to  the  entrance  there  indeed  stood 
the  owner  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  holding  his  horse,  and  by 
him  stood  the  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  the  2C0th  Ind.,  a  big 
burly  man.  who  had  been  a  drover  and  an  influential 
jDolitician  before  he  got  his  commission,  and  had  a  high 
reputation  at  home  as  a  rough-and-tumble  fighter.  He 
had  not  added  to  his  bellicose  repute  since  entering  the  _ 
field,  because  for  sume  mysterious  reason  he  had  been 


994 


SI   KLEGG    AND  SHORTY. 


absent  every  time  the  regiment  went  into  a  ^ght,  or  was 
likely  to.  Consequently  he  was  all  the  more  blustering 
and  domineering  in  camp,  in  spite  of  the  frequent  repres- 
sions he  got  from  the  modest,  quiet  little  Colonel. 

"Old  Blowhard  Billings  is  there/'  said  Si.  "Now  we'll 
have  a  gust  o'  wind." 

"Didn't  know  he  was  in  camp/'  said  Shorty.  I've  a 
notion  to  bust  a  cap  and  scare  him  back  to  Nashville 
agin.  Don't  let  him  bluff  you,  Si,  even  if  he  is  the  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel." 

They  rode  up  to  the  entrance  looking  as  innocent  and 
placid  as  if  bringing  in  a  load  from  the  fields  on  the 
Wabash. 

"Corporal  Klegg/'  said  the  Lieutenant-Colonel  sternly, 
*bring  out  that  nigger  from  the  Avagon." 

''We  ain't  got  no  nigger  in  the  wagon,  Colonel,"  said  Si, 
with  an  expression  of  surprise. 

"Come,  now,  don't  fool  with  me,  sir,  or  I'll  make  you 
very  sorry  for  it.  I'm  no  man  to  be  trifled  with,  sir.  If 
you  ain't  got  a  nigger  in  the  wagon  what  've  you  done 
>vith  him?" 

"We  5in't  done  nothin'  with  him.  Colonel,"  persisted 
Si.  "I  h,^*n't  had  nothin'  to  do  with  no  nigger  since  we 
started  out  this  mornin';  hain't  spoken  to  one.  Some- 
limes  j-.jggers  jump  on  our  wagons,  ride  a  little  ways, 
aji(i  riien  jump  off  agin.  I  can't  keep  track  of  'em.  I 
L^euerally  make  'em  git  off  when  I  notice  'em." 

•Corporal  Ivlegg,  you're  lyin'  to  me,"  said  the  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel roughly.  "I'll  settle  with  you  directly. 
"Groundhog,  have  you  got  a  nigger  in  the  wagon?" 

"No.  sir,"  replied  the  teamster. 

"Didn't  you  have  one?" 

Groundhog  looked  up  and  caught  Shorty's  eye  fixed 
unflinchingly  on  him.  ' 

"1  b'lieve  that  one  did  git  on,"  he  stammered,  '  but  he 


WHAT  TO  DO  WITH  THE  FREEDMAN. 


225 


got  off  agin  d'rectly.  I  didn't  notice  much  about  him. 
My  mules  wuz  very  bothersome  all  the  time.  They're 
the  durndest  meanest  mules  that  ever  a  man  tried  to 
drive.    That  there  off  swing-mule 'd"  

"We  don't  want  to  hear  nothin'  about  your  mules. 
AVe'll  look  in  the  wagon  ourselves." 

The  search  developed  nothing.  The  Lieutenant-Colo- 
nel came  back  to  Si^  angrier  than  ever. 

"Look  here,  Klegg,  you're  foolin'  me,  an'  I  won't  stand 
it.  I'll  have  the  truth  out  o'  you  if  I  have  to  kill  you. 
Understand?" 

There  was  a  dangerous  gleam  in  Si's  and  Shorty's 
eyes,  but  they  kept  their  lips  tightly  closed. 

"This  gentleman  here,"  continued  the  Lieutenant- 
Colonel,  "says,  and  I  believe  his  story,  against  all  that 
you  may  say,  that  the  men  wiQi  this  wagon,  which  he's 
bin  watchin'  all  along,  took  his  nigger  away  from  him 
and  drove  him  off  Avith  insults  and  curses.  They  threat- 
ened his  life.  He  says  he  can't  reckonize  either  of  you, 
and  likely  you  have  disguised  yourselves.  But  he 
reckonizes  the  wagon  and  the  teamster,  and  is  willin'  to 
swear  to  'em.  I  knoAv  he's  tellin'  the  truth,  because  I 
know  you  fellers.  .  You're  impudent  and  sassy.  You've 
bin  among  them  that's  hollered  at  me.  You've  bin  steal- 
in'  other  things  besides  niggers  to-day,  and  have  'em  in 
your  possession.  You're  loaded  down  Avith  things  you've 
stolen  from  houses.  I  won't  command  a  regiment  of 
nigger-thieves.  I  won't  have  nigger-thieves  in  my  regi- 
ment. If  I've  got  any  in  my  regiment  I'll  break  'em  of 
it,  or  I'll  break  their  infernal  necks.  I  believe  you  fellers 
got  aw^ay  with  that  nigger,  and  I'll  tie  you  up  by  the 
thumbs  till  I  get  the  truth  out  o'  you.  Sergeant  o'  the 
guard,  take  charge  o'  these  men,  and  bring  'em  along. 
Take  that  stuff  that  they've  stolen  aAvay  from  them  and 
send  it  to  my  tent." 


226  ^    '      SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


Si  and  Shorty  got  very  wltite  about  the  mouth,  but  Si 
merely  said,  as  they  handed  their  guns  to  the  guard: 

"Colonel,  you  may  tie  us  up  till  doomsday,  but  you'll 
git  no  he^p  out  of  us  to  ketch  runavray  niggers  and  put 
'em  back  in  slavery." 

"Shut  up,  you  scalav/ag,"  roared  the  Lieutenant- 
Colonel.  "If  I  hear  another  word  out  o'  you  I'll  buck- 
and-gag  you." 

They  marched  to  Regimental  Headquarters  and  halted, 
and  the  Lieutenant-Colonel  renewed  his  browbeating, 
Si  and  Shorty  continued  obstinate,  and  ihe  Lieutenant- 
Colonel,  getting  angrier  every  minute,  ordered  them  tied 
up  by  the  thumbs.  While  the  Sergeant  of  the  Guard, 
who  was  a  friend  of  the  boys,  and  had  little  heart  for  the 
work,  was  dallying  with  his  preparations  the  Colonel 
himxself  appeared  on  the  scene. 

"Ah,  Colonel, ,  you've  got  back,  have  you?"  said  the 
Lieutenant-Colonel,  little  pleased  at  the  interruption. 
"I've  just  caught  two  of  the  men  in  a  little  job  o'  nigger- 
stealin',  and  I  was  about  to  learn  them  a  lesson  which 
will  break  them  of  the  habit.  With  your  consent  I'll 
go  on  with  the  work." 

"Nigger-stealing?"  said  the  Colonel  quietly.  "You 
mean  helping  a  slave  to  get  away?  Did  you  learn  whether 
the  owner  w^as  a  loyal  man?" 

"I  don't  know  as  that  makes  any  difference,"  replied 
the  Lieutenant-Colonel  surlily.  "As  a  matter  of  fact,  I 
believe  he  said  he  had  two  sons  in  the  rebel  army." 

"Well,  Colonel,"  said  the  other,  "I'll  invite  your  atten- 
tion to  the  Emancipation  Proclamation  of  President 
Lincoln,  and  the  orders  from  the  War  Department,  which 
prohibit  the  return  of  slaves  to  disloyal  OAvners,  and 
make  it  the  duty  of  ofhcers  and  men  to  assist  in  their 
escape.  You  had  better  dismiss  the  men  to  their 
quarters." 


WHAT  TO  DO  T^'ITH  THE  FEEEDMANV  22? 

"If  tliat's  the  case  — -  if  I  don't  resign.  I'm  no  Aboli- 
tionist.   I  didn't  come  into  the  army  to  free  the  niggers." 

''I  shall  take  pleasure  in  forwarding  your  resignation 
with  a  recommendation  of  its  acceptance  for  the  good  of 


the  service,"  said  the  Colonel  calmly.    "Alen,  go  to  your 

"Altogether,  Pap,  I  consider  this  a  mighty  good  day's 
work,"  remarked  Si  that  evening  after  supper,  as  they 
sat  around  the  fire  smoking,  with  Abraham  Lincoln  snor- 
ing vigorously  on  the  floor,  in  his  first  night's  sleep  as 
a  free  man. 


22a 


81  K^mG  AND  SHOKTY. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

TBYING  TO  EDUCATE  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN— TOO  PIIGH-PRESSUEE 
SCHOOLING— THE  BOYS  ON  PICKET. 

All  three  of  the  men  at  once  became  guardians  of 
Abraham  Lincoln,  and  in  their  several  ways  heartily 
interested  in  his  welfare. 

The  Deacon  was  fired  by  the  missionary  spirit  of  his 
kind  and  class. 
"No  use  talkin'  or  thinkin'  no  more  afcout  the  heathen 
^On  Greenland's  icy  mountains, 

Or  India's  coral  strand. 
Where  Afric's  sunny  fountains 
Roll  down  their  golden  sand," 

he  communed  with  himself  that  evening,  as  he  sat  and 
smoked,  and  occasionally  glanced  at  the  ebon  face  of  the 
sleeper  in  the  corner.  "Providence  has  cut  out  a  job  for 
me,  and  sent  it  home.  Rather,  He  sent  me  where  I 
couldn't  help  stumblin'  upon  it,  and  recl^onizin'  it.  The 
responsibility  to  Him  is  clear.  I've  got  heathen  enough 
to  last  me  for  a  'coon^s  age,  to  lift  that  poor,  ignorant  soul 
up,  and  bring  it  to  a  knowledge  of  Christian  ways.  He's 
not  nice  nor  purty;  never  heard  of  a  pagan  that  wuz. 
Wouldn't  be  pagans  if  they  wuz.  But  he's  a  man  and  a 
brother,  and  the  Bible  says  that  I'm  my  brother's  keeper. 
I'll  keep  him  agin  fifty-'] even  o'  that  old  snortin'  rebel 
and  Copperhead  Blowhard  Billings.  I  wuzzent  brung  up 
in  the  woods  to  be  scared  by  the  hootin'  of  an  oavI." 

"We  might  take  him  along  with  us.  Si,"  said  Shorty,  in 
a  low  tone,  with  a  nod  toward  Abraham  Lincoln.  "We 
could  make  a  bully  cook  out  of  him.  We  could  have  no 
end  of  fun  with  him.   We  could  learn  him  lots  o'  tridka. 


TRYIXG  TO  EDUCATE  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN.  22y 


He's  as  strong  as  an  ox,  and  after  I'd  give  him  a  few  les- 
sons in  puttin'  up  liis  hands ,  he'd  knock  out  that  sassy 
nigger  o'  the  Colonel's." 

"1  think  so  too/'  acquiesced  Si,  with  an  estimating 
glance  at  the  sleejDer. 

Abraham  Lincoln's  iducation  began  bright  and  early 
the  next  morning,  when  Shorty  kicked  and  shook  him 
into  v>^akefulness  at  the  sound  of  the  rereille. 

"Git  up;  git  up,"  said  Shorty,  '"'u'ash  your  hands, 
comb  your  hair,  cut  some  wood  and  put  it  on  the  hre, 
and  bring  a  kettle  o'  water  from  the  spring." 

"Wash  my  hands  and  face,"  said  the  negro,  in  a  dazed 
way.  "Wha'fo?  Don't  got  nufin  on  dem.  Comb  my 
ha'r?  Kebber  did  dat  in  my  life." 

"'Well,  you've  got  to  do  it  now  every  mornin',  and  be 
spry  about  it,  too.  Come,  don't  move  around  as  if  sawed 
out  o'  basswood.  This  ain't  nigger-quarters.  Git  some 
springs  in  your  feet."  ,  , 

And  he  emphasized  his  injunctions  with  a  vigorous 
push.  '  . 

The  negro's  face  looked  as  if  he  began  to  have  doubts 
as  to  whether  freedom  was  all  that  had  been  represented 
to  him.  To  have  to  get  up  early  etery  morning,  and 
wash  his  face  and  hands  and  comb  his  hair,  seemed  at 
the  moment  to  be  a  high  price  to  pay  for  liberty. 

"Does  I  hab  tuh  do  dat  ebbery  mornin'.  Boss?"  he  said, 
turning  with  a  look  of  plaintive  inquiry  to  the  Deacon. 

"Why,  certainly,"  said  the  Deacon,  who  had  just  fin- 
ished his  own  ablutions,  and  was  combing  his  hair. 
"Every  man  must  do  that  to  be  decent." 

Abraham  Lincoln  gave  a  deep  sigh. 

"Washes  himself  as  if  he's  afraid  the  water'd  scald 
him,"  said  the  Deacon,  watching  the  negro's  awkward 
efforts.  "He'll  have  to  take  more  kindly  to  water,  if  he 
comes  into  a  Baptist  total  immersion  family.  There's 


230 


SI  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


no  salvation  except  by  water,  and  plenty  of  it,  too. 
Now,"  he  continued,  as  the  black  man  finished,  "pick  up 
that  ax  and  cut  some  wood  to  get  breakfast  with." 

Abraham  Lincoln  took  the  ax,  and  began  belaboring 
the  wood,  while  the  Deacon  studied  him  with  a  critical 
eye.  There  w^as  little  that  the  Deacon  prided  himself  on 
more  than  his  skill  as  a  wood  chopper.  People  who 
think  that  the  ax  is  a  simple,  skill-less  tool,  dependent 
for  its  efficiency  solely  upon  the  strength  and  industry 
with  which  it  is  wielded,  make  a  great  mistake.  There 
is  as  much  difference  in  the  way  men  handle  axes,  and 
in  the  result  they  produce,  as  there  is  in  their  playing 
the  violin.  Anybody  can  chop,  it  is  true,  as  anybody  can 
daub  with  a  paint  brush,  but  a  real  axman  of  the  breed 
of  the  Deacon,  who  had  gone  into  the  wilderness  with 
scarcely  any  other  tool  than  an  ax,  can  produce  results 
with  it  of  which  the  clumsy  hacker  can  scarcely  imagine. 
The  Deacon  watched  the  negro's  work  with  disgust  and 
impatience. 

"Hadn't  oughter  named  sich  a  clumsy  pounder  as  that 
'Abraham  Lincoln,'"  he  mused.  "Old  Abe  could  handle 
an  ax  with  the  best  of  'em.  This  feller  handles  it  as  if 
it  was  a  handspike.  If  Si  couldn't  've  used  an  ax  bet- 
ter'n  that  when  he  was  10  years  old,  I'd  'a  felt  mortally 
ashamed  o'  him.  Gracious,  what  a  job  I  have  before  me, 
o'  makin'  a  first  class  man  out  o'  him." 

He  took  the  ax  from  the  negro's  hand,  and  patiently 
showed  him  how  to  hold  and  strike  with  it.  The  man 
apparefntly  tried  his  best  to  learn,  but  it  was  a  perspiring 
effort  for  him  and  the  Deacon.  The  negro  presently  drop- 
ped his  ax,  sat  down  on  the  log,  and  wiped  his  forehead 
with  his  shirtsleeve. 

"  Fore  God,  Boss,  dat's  de  hardest  way  ob  cuttin'  wood 
dat  I  ebber  seed.  Hit'll  kill  me  done  daid  to  chog  ^^ood 
dat  a-way/' 


TPtYINa  TO  EDUCATE  AER1HA:\I  LINCOLN. 


231 


'Tsliavr!^'  said  the  imiDatient  Deacon.  ^'You're  simply 
stuj^id;  that's  all.  That's  the  only  way  to  handle  an  ax. 
You  kin  cut  with  half  the  work  that  way." 

He  was  discovering  what  so  many  of  us  have  found  out, 
that  among  the  hardest  things  in  life  is  that  of  getting 
people  to  give  up  clumsy  ways  for  those  that  are  better. 


THE  DEACON  GIVES  ABE  A  LESSON  IN  Y>'OOD  CHOPPING. 

In  the  meanwliile  the  boys  had  gotten  breakfast^  and 
they  called  the  Deacon  in.  Abraham  Lincoln  was  given 
a  liberal  allowance  of  fried  pork,  soft  bread,  and  coffee 
with  an  abundance  of  brown  sugar  in  it,[  and  for  the 
while  looked -as  if  Jie:had  discovered  that  there  were 
real,  unmistakable  blessings  about  freedom.    But  he 


232 


SI  KLEGG  AND  SHORTY. 


was  no  sooner  through  his  meal  than  the  liys  put  him 
through  a  course  of  tuition  in  washing  the  dishes,  clean- 
ing the  house,  and  making  the  front  tidy. 

Their  quick,  positive,  exact  ways  of  working  were  a 
new  and  sore  trial  to  the  slouching,  dilatory  field-hand, 
and  he  looked  very  wretched. 

Then  Shorty,  who  was  dying  to  train  their  new  acquisi- 
tion for  a  winning  fight  with  the  ColonePs  negro,  took 
him  out  behind  the  house  for  a  little  private  instruction 
in  boxing.  The  field-hand  had  never  even  heard  of  such 
a  thing  before,  but  Shorty  was  too  much  in  earnest  to 
care  for  a  little  thing  like  that.  He  went  at  his  task  with 
a  will,  making  the  negro  double  his  fists  just  so,  strike 
in  a  particular  way,  make  a  certain  "guard,"  and  hit  out 
scientifically.  Shorty  was  so  enthusiastic  that  he  did 
not  stop  to  think  that  it  was  severe  labor  for  the  poor 
negro,  and  when  he  had  to  stop  his  lesson  at  the  end  of 
half  an  hour  to  go  on  battalion  drill  he  left  his  pupil  in  a 
state  of  collapse. 

The  negro  sat  down  on  a  log,  and  began  to  wonder 
dimly  if  he  went  back  to  his  master  he  would  shoot  him 
after  all.  May  be  he  would  be  merciful  enough  to  only 
give  him  a  good  thrashing,  and  then  let  him  go  and  do 
his  work  his  own  way  in  the  fields. 

Ignorant  of  the  new  ordeal  through  which  his  charge 
had  been  going,  the  Deacon  went  out  in  search  of  him. 
He  had  just  finished  reading  the  news  in  the  Cincinnati 
Commercial,  endijig  up  with  an  editorial  on  "Our  Duty 
Toward  the  Freedmen,"  which  impelled  him  to  think  that 
he  could  not  begin  Abraham  Lincoln^s  education  too 
soon. 

"Now,  Abe,"  said  he  briskly,  "youVei  had  a  good  rest, 
and  it's  time  that  you  should  be  doin'  something.  You 
ought  to  learn  to  read  as  soon  as  possible,  and  you 
might  as  well  begin  to  learn  your  letters  at  once.    I'll " 


TOO  HIGH-PRESSUEE  SCHOOLIKa. 


233 


give  you  your  first  lesson.  Here  are  some  nice  large  let- 
ters in  this  newspaper  head,  that  you  kin  learn  very 
easily.  Now,  that  first  one  is  T.   You  see  it  is  a  cross." 

"Afo'  de  Lawd,  Boss/'  wailed  the  desperate  negro,  "I 
jest  can't  I'arn  no  mo',  now,  nohow.    'Deed  I  can't. 


SHOETY  INSTRUCTS  THE  NEGRO  IN  THE  ART  OF  SELF-DEFENSE. 

Hit's  bin  niiffin  but  I'arn,  Parn,  ebbery  minnit  sence  I 
got  up  dis  mawnin',  an'  my  haid's  jest  bustin',  so  hit  is. 
A  nigger's  got  no  bizniss  wid  I'arnin'.  Dat's  only  fob 
white  people.  A  nigger's  biziness  is  tuh  wuk.  I  a'most 
wisht  I  wuz  back  wid  my  ole  mas'r,  who  didn't  want  tuh 
larn  me  nulfiu^'* 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


The  aslonisliecl  Deacon  paused  and  refleetGd 
*^Mebbe  we've  bin  tiyin'  to  force  this  plant  too  fast. 
There's  danger  about  puttin'  new  wine  into  old  bottles. 
It's  not  the  right  way  to  train  anything.  The  way  to 
break  a  colt  is  to  hang  the  bridle  on  the  fence  where  he 
kin  see  it  and  smell  it  for  a  day  or  two.  I'll  go  a  little 
slow  with  him  at  first.  Would  you  like  something  more 
to  eat,  Abe?" 

"Yes,  Boss.  'Deed  I  would/'  answered  the  negro  with 
cheerful  promptness,  forgetting  ail  about  the  pangs  of 
the  "new  birth  of  freedom." 

Some  days  later.  Si  had  charge  of  a  picket-post  on  the 
Heady ville  Pike,  near  Cripple  Deer  Creek.  The  Deacon 
went  with  them,  at  their  request,  which  accorded  with 
his  own  iiiGlinations.  .The  weather  was  getting  warmer 
every  day,  which  made  him  fidgety  to  get  back  to  his 
own  fields^  though  Si  insisted  that  they  were  still  under 
a  foot  of  snow  in  Indiana.  Rut  he  had  heard  so  much 
about  picket-duty  that,  next  to  a  battle,  it  was  the  thing 
he  most  wanted  to  see.  Abrahapi  Lincoln  was  left  be- 
hind to  care  for  the  "house."  He  had  been  a  disappoint- 
ment so  far,  having  developed  no  strong  qualities,  except 
for  eating  and  sleeping,  of  which  he  could  do  unlimited 
quantities. 

"No  use  o'  takin'  him  out  on  picket,"  observed  Shorty, 
'^unless  we  kin  git  a  wagon  to  go  along  and  haul  rations 
for  him.  I  understand  now  why  these  rebels  are  so  poor; 
the  niggers  eat  up  everything  they  kin  raise.  I'm  afraid, 
Deacon,  he'll  make  the  Wabash  Valley  look  sick  when 
vou  turn  him  loose  in  it." 

*'I  guess  my  farm  kin  stand  him,"  said  the  Deacon 
proudly.  "It  stood  Si  when  he  was  a  grOwin'  boy,  though 
he  used  to  strain  it  sometimes." 

They  found  a  comfortable  fence -corner  facing  south  for 


TOO  HIGH-PRESSURE  SCHOOLING.  285 

tlieir  "tent,"  \Yhich  they  constructed  by  niakhig  a  roof  of 
cedar  boughs  resting  on  a  rail  running  from  one  angle  to 
another.  They  laid  more  boughs  down  in  the  corner, 
and  on  this  placed  their  blankets,  making  a  bed  which 
the  Deacon  pronounced  very  inviting  and  comfortable. 
They  built  a  fire  in  front,  for  warmth  and  for  cooking,  and 
so  set  up  housekeeping  in  a  very  neat  and  soldier-like 
way.  ,  -r/ 


MR.  KLEGG  ENJOYS  SOLID  COMFORT. 


The  afternoon  passed  without  special  incident.  Snony 
came  in  with  a  couple  of  chickens,  but  the  Deacon  had 
learned  enough  to  repress  any  questions  as  to  where  and 
how  he  got  them.   He  soon  became  more  interested  in 


236 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


liis  preparations  for  cooking  tliem.  He  had  built  a  big 
fire  in  a  hole  in  the  ground,  and  piled  a  quantity  of  dry 
cedar  on  this.  Then  he  cut  off  the  heads  and  legs  of  the 
chickens,  and  getting  some  mud  from  the  side  of  the 
road,  proceeded  to  cover  each,  feathers  and  all,  with  a 
coating  nearly  an  inch  thick. 

"What  in  the  world  do  you  mean  by  that.  Shorty?'' 
asked  the  Deacon  in  surprise. 

"He's  all  right,  Pap,"  assured  Si.  "He'll  show  you 
a  new  wrinkle  in  chicken-fixin'  that  you  kin  teach 
mother  when  you  go  home.  She  knoAvs  more  about 
cookin'  than  any  other  woman  in  the  world,  but  I'll  bet 
she's  not  up  to  this  dodge." 

The  fire  had  by  this  time  burned  down  to  a  heap  of 
glowing  embers.  The  hoys  scraped  a  hole  in  these,  laid 
on  it  their  two  balls  of  mud,  then  carefully  covered  them 
with  live  coals  and  piled  on  a  little  more  wood. 

"I'll  say  right  now,"  said  the  Deacon,  "that  I  don't 
think  much  o'  that  way.  Why  didn't  you  take  their 
feathers  off  and  clean  out  their  innards?  Seems  to  me 
that's  a  nasty  way." 

"Wait  and  see,"  said  Shorty  sententiously. 

bi  had  mixed  some  meal  into  a  dough  in  the  half-can- 
teens he  and  Shorty  carried  in  their  haversacks.  He 
spread  this  out  on  a  piece  of  sheet-iron,  and  propped  it 
up  before  the  fire.  In  a  little  while  it  was  nicely  brown- 
ed over,  Avlien  Si  removed  it  from  the  sheet-iron,  turned 
it  over,  and  browned  the  other  side.  He  repeated  this 
until  he  had  a  sufficiency  of  "hoe  cakes"  for  their  sup- 
Der.  A  kettle  of  good,  strong  coffee  had  been  boiling  on 
the  other  side  of  the  fire  while  this  v;as  going  on.  Then 
they  carefully  raked  the  embers  off,  and  rolled  out  two 
balls  of  hard-baked  clay.  Wailing  for  these  to  cool  a 
little,  they  broke  them.  The  skin  and  feathers  came  off 
with  the  pieces  and  wt)ale€l  deliriously  s^^^^'ory,  sweei 


THE  BOYS  GO  ON  PICKET. 


237 


meat,  roasted  Just  to  a  turn.  The  intestines  tiad  shriv- 
eled up  with  the  heat  into  little,  hard  balls,  which  ^Yere 
throvrn  away. 

"Yum — yam — yum/'  said  Shorty,  tearing  one  of  the 
chickens  in  two,  and  handing  a  piece  to  the  Deacon, 
while  Si  gave  him  a  sweet,  crisp  hoe  cake  and  a  cup  of 
strong  coffee.  "Now,  this's  what  you  might  call  livin'. 
Never  beat  that  cookin'  in  any  house  that  had  a  roof. 
Only  do  that  when  you've  stars  in  the  roof  of  your 
kitchen." 

"It  certainly  is  siDlendid,"  admitted  the  Deacon.  "1 
don't  think  Maria  could've  done  better." 

It  was  yet  light  when  they  finished  their  supper,  filled 
their  pipes,  and  adjusted  themselves  for  a  comfortable 
smoke.    One  of  the  men  came  back  and  said:  i* 

"Corporal,  there's  a  rebel  on  horseback  down  the  road 
a  little  ways  who  seems  to  be  spying  on  us.  We've 
noticed  him  for  some  little  time.  He  don't  come  up  in 
good  range,  and  we  haven't  fired  at  him,  hopin'  he'd 
come  closer.    Better  come  and  take  a  look  at  him." 

"Don't  do  anything  to  scare  him  off,"  said  Si.  "Keep 
quiet.  "i\Ie  and  Shorty'il  sneak  down  through  the  field, 
out  of  sight,  and  git  him." 

They  picked  up  their  guns  and  slipped  out  under  the 
cover  Oi  the  undergrowth  to  where  they  could  walk  along 
the  fence,  screened  by  the  heavy  thicket  of  sumach. 
Catching  the  excitement  of  the  occasion,  the  Deacon  fol- 
lowed them  at  a  little  distance. 

Without  discovery  Si  and  Shorty  made  their  way  to  a 
covert  within  an  easy  50  yards  of  where  the  horseman  sat 
rather  uneasily  on  a  fine,  mettled  animal.  They  took  a 
good  look  at  him.  He  was  a  young,  slender  man,  below 
medium  hight,  with  curly,  coal-black  hair,  short  whiskers, 
a  hooked  nose,  and  large,  iuil  eyes.  He  wore  a  gray  suit 
of  lather  better  make  and  material  than  was  customary 


238 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


in  the  rebel  army.  He  had  a  revolver  in  his  belt  and  a 
carbine  slung  to  his  saddle,  but  showed  no  immediate 
intention  of  using  either.  His  right  hand  rested  on  his 
thigh,  and  his  eyes  were  intently  fixed  on  the  distant 
picket-post. 

"A  rebel  scout,"  whispered  Si.  "Shall  we  knock  him 
over,  and  then  order  him  to  surrender,  or  halt  him  first, 
and  then  shoot?" 

"He  can't  git  away,"  said  Shorty.  "I  have  him  ki^- 
vered.  You  kivver  his  hoss's  head.  Then  call  him 
down." 

Si  drew  his  sights  fine  on  the  horse's  head  and  yelLd, 

"Surrender,  there,  you  dumbed  rebel." 

The  man  gave  a  quick  start,  a  swift  glance  at  the  blue 
uniforms,  and  instantly  both  hands  went  up. 

"Dat  ish  all  righd,  poys.  Ton't  shood.  I'm  a  friendt,'' 
he  called  in  a  strong  German  accent. 

"Climb  down  off  o'  that  hoss,  and  come  here,  and  do  it 
mighty  sudden,"  called  out  Si,  with  his  finger  still  on  the 
trigger. 

The  horse  became  restive  at  the  sound  of  strange 
voices,  but  the  man  succeeded  in  dismounting,  and  tak- 
ing his  reins  in  his  hand  led  the  horse  up  to  the  fence. 

"Ferry  gladt  to  see  you,  poys,"  said  ne,  surveying  their 
blue  garments  with  undisguised  satisfaction,  and  putting 
out  his  other  hand  to  shake. 

"Take  off  that  revolver,  and  hand  it  here,"  ordered  the 
wary  Shorty,  following  the  man  with  the  muzzle  of  his 
gun.  The  man  slipped  his  arm  through  the  reins,  un- 
buckled his  revolver,  and  handed  it  to  Shorty.  Si  jump- 
ed over  the  fence  and  seized  the  carbine. 

"Who  are  you,  and  where  did  you  come  from?"  asked 
Si,  starting  the  man  up  the  road  toward  the  post. 

"What  richimint  do  you  pelong  to,"  asked  the  stranger, 
warily. 


THE  EOYS  GO  OX  PICKET.  ,  239 

"'\^''e  belong  to  Co.  200tli  Injianny,  the  best  regiment 
in  Gen.  Eosecrans's  arniv/'  answered  Si  proudly ,  that 
tlie  captive  migiit  understand  where  the  honor  of  his 
taking  belonged.  .  ■ 

"Dat  ish  all  righd/'  said  the  stranger,  with  an  air  of 
satisfaction.    "The  200th  Intianny  is  a  ferry  goot  richi- 


"surrender;  there,  you  dumbed  rebel!" 


mint.  I  saw  dem  vhip  Chohn  Morkan's  gavalry  at  Kreen 
Kiffer.    Glumsy  farmer  poys,  but  shoot  like  porn  teffils." 

"But  who  are  you,  and  where  did  you  come  fi'om?"  re- 
peated Si  impatiently. 

"I'm  all  righd.  I'm  Levi  Rosenbaum,  of  Gen.  Kose- 
crans's  segret  serfice.   I  got  some  news  for  him," 


240 


SI   KLEGG    AND  SHORTY. 


"You  have?"  said  Si  suspiciously.  "Why  didn't  you 
ride  right  in  and  tell  it  to  him?  What'veyou  bin  hangin' 
around  here  all  afternoon,  watchin'  our  post  for?'' 

"1  vasn't  sure  you  yass  dere.  I  vass  toldt  dat  de 
Yankee  bickets  vass  koing  to  be  pusht  oud  to  Kripple 
Teer  Greek  to-day,  put  I  titn't  know  it  for  sure.  I  vass 
afrait  dat  de  reppels  vass  dere  yet.  Chim  Chones,  off  de 
segret  serfice,  had  akreed  to  ccme  out  dis  afternoon  and 
wave  a  flag  if  id  vass  all  righd.  I  vass  vaiting  for  his 
sign.  Put  he  is  brobably  trunk.  He  alfays  kets  so  vhen 
he  reaches  gamp." 

The  Deacon  joined  them  in  the  road,  and  gave  a 
searching  look  at  the  prisoner. 

"Ain't  you  a  Jew^?"  he  inquired  presently.  "Ain't  your 
name  Rosenbaum?  Didn't  you  go  through  Posey  Coimty, 
Ind.,  a  year  or  two  ago,  with  a  wagon,  sellin'  packs  o' 
cloth  to  the  farmers?" 

"Pm  an  American  citizen,"  said  the  man  proudly,  "de 
same  as  de  rest  of  you.  My  relichion  is  Hebrew.  I  ton't 
know  andt  ton't  gare  what  your  relichion  iss.  Efery 
man  hass  vhat  relichion  dat  suits  him.  My  jiame  is 
Rosenbaum.  I  tit  sell  gloth  in  Posey  County,  unt  all 
ofer  Intianny.  Id  vass  goot  gloth,  too,  unt  I  soldt  id  ad 
a  ^jargain/' 

^'It  certainly  was  good  cloth,  ano  ^xicap,"  admitted  the 
Deacon.  "What  in  the  world  are  you  doin'  down  here  in 
them  clothes?" 

"Pm  toing  yoost  vhat  dese  men  air  toing  here  in  teir 
gloze,"  answered  Rosenbaum.  "Pm  drying  to  serfe  de 
gountry.  Pm  toing  id  different  from  dem  because  Pm 
built  different  from  dem.  I  hope  Pm  toing  it  as  veil. 
Put  Pm  awful  hungry.  Kot  anything  to  eat?  Yoost  a 
gup  of  coffee  and  a  gracker?   Ton't  gare  for  any  bork."  f 

"Yes,  we'll  give  you  something  to  eat,"  said  Shorty. 


THE  BOYS  GO  ON  PICKET. 


241 


"I  think  iliere's  some  of  our  chicken  left.  You'll  fmd 
that  good." 

"How  tit  you  gcok  dat?"  said  Eosenlaum,  looking  at 
the  teiiiptiug  morsel  suspiciously. 
Shorty  explained. 

"Danks,  1  gan't  ead  id,"  said  Roscnbaum  ^^ilh  a  sigh. 
'^Id  ain'd  kosher." 

"What  the  devil's  that?"  asked  Shorty.  '  • 

"Id's  my  relichion.  I  gan't  eggsplain.  Sent  for  te 
Officer  ob  de  Guard  to  dake  me  to  Headquarters  "  an- 
swered Eosenbaum,  sipping  his  coffee. 


242 


SI  KLEGG   AND  RHORTY. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE  JEW  SPY  TELLS  HIS  THRILLING  STORY. 

The  Officer  of  the  Guard  was  a  long  tune  m  coming, 
and  Mr.  Rosenbaum  grew  quite  chatty  and  communica- 
tive, as  they  sat  aroxmd  the  bright  fire  of  cedar  logs  and 
smoked.  ^ 

"Yes,"  he  said,  "I  haf  peen  in  de  segret  serfice  effer 
since  de  peginning  off  de  war — in  vact,  pefore  de  war,  for 
I  pegan  ketting  news  for  Frank  Plair  in  de  Vinter  pefore 
de  war.  Dey  say  de  Chews  haff  no  batriotism.  Dat^s  a 
lie.  Thy  should  dey  haff  no  batriotism  for  gountri^s 
vhere  dey  yhere  dreated  like  togs?  In  Chermany, 
vhere  I  vass  porn,  dey  dreated  us  vorse  than  togs.  Dey 
made  us  lif  in  a  liddle,  nasdy,  big-ben  of!  an  alley;  ve 
hat  to  go  in  ad  suntown,  unt  shtay  dere;  ve  hat  to  wear 
a  tifferent  gloze  from  other  volks,  unt  ve  titn't  tare  say 
our  souls  vere  our  own  to  any  tirty  loafer  dat  insulted  us. 

"Here  ve  are  dreated  like  men,  unt  vhy  shouldn't  ve 
help  keep  de  gountry  from  preaking  up?  Chews  ought  to 
do  more  dan  anypody  else,  unt  I  mate  up  my  mint  from 
de  fery  virst  dat  I  vass  koing  to  do  ail  dat  I  gould,  De 
Chenerals  haf  tolt  me  dat  I  gould  do  much  petter  for  de 
gountry  in  the  segret  serfice  dan  as  a  solcher;  dey  gould 
ket  blenty  of  solchers,  unt  put  vew  sbies." 

"Now  you're  shoutin',"  said  Shorty.  "They  kin  git  me 
to  soldier  as  long  as  the  war  lasts,  for  the  askin',  but  I 
wouldn't  be  a  spy  10  minutes  for  a  corn-basket  full  o' 
greenbacks.  I  have  too  much  regard  for  my  neck.  1 
need  it  in  my  business." 

"You  a  spy,"  said  Si  derisively.  "You  couldn't  spy  for 
sour  apples.  Them  big  feet  o'  your'n'd  give  you  dead 
away  to  anybody  that'd  ever  seen  you  before." 


THE  JEW  SPY  TELLS  HLS  STORY. 


243 


"Spyin'  isn't  the  business  that  any  straightfor'rd  man/' 
— the  Deacon  began  to  say  in  tones  of  cold  disapproval, 
and  then  he  bethought  him  of  cruelty  to  the  stranger,  and 
changed  hastily— "that  Fd  like  to  do.  It's  entirely  too 
resky." 

"0,  it's  jest  as  honorable  as  anything  else,  Pap," 
said  Si,  divining  his  father's  thought.  "All's  fair  in  love 
and  war.  We  couldn't  git  along  without  spies.  They're 
as  necessary  as  muskets  and  cannon." 

"Inteed  dey  are,"  said  Mr.  Eosenbaum  earnestly;  "you 
rouldn't  know  vhat  to  do  mit  your  muskets  ant  gannon 
if  de  spies  titn't  dell  you  vhere  de  reppels  vere,  unt  how 
many  dere  vass  off  dem.  I  ko  oud  unt  ket  information 
dad  id  vould  gost  hundrets  off  lifes  to  ket,  unt  may  save 
tousants  off  lifes,  unt  all  dat  id  gosts  is  vun  poor  liddle 
Chew's  neck,  vhen  hey  drop  on  to  him,  some  day,  unt 
ieafe  him  swinging  vrom  a  dree.  But  vhen  dat  dime 
gomes,  I  shall  make  no  more  gomplaint  dan  dese  odder 
poor  poys  do,  w^ho  ket  deir  heads  knockt  off  in  paddle. 
I'm  no  petter  dan  dey  are.  My  life  pelongs  to  de  gountry 
de  same  as  deirs,  unt  dis  free  Government  is  vorth  all 
our  lifes,  \mi  more  too," 

His  simple,  sincere  patriotism  touched  the  Deacon 
deeply.  "Fd  no  idee  that  there  was  so  much  o'  the  man 
in  a  Jew,"  he  said  to  himself.  Then  he  asked  the 
strang^er: 

"How  did  you  come  to  go  into  the  spy  business,  Mr. 
Eosenbaum?" 

**YelI,  I  vas  in  St.  Louis  in  de  gloding  pizniss,  unt  you 
know  it  vass  purty  hot  dere.  All  de  Chermans  vass  for 
de  Union,  unt  most  off  de  Amerigans  unt  Irish  seemed  to 
be  Secessionists.  I  sided  mit  de  Chermans,  put  as  no- 
potty  seemed  to  think  dat  a  Chew  hat  any  brincibles  or 
gared  for  anything  put  de  almighty  tollar,  efferypoty 
dalked  righd  oud  £efore  me,  unt  by  geepin'  my  ears  wite 


244 


iJ  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


open  I  kot  hold  off  lots  off  news,  vich  I  took  straight  to 
Cheneral  Lyon.  I  kot  veil  ackvainted  mit  him,  unt  he 
used  to  sent  me  here  unt  dere  to  vind  oud  dings  for  him. 
I'd  sell  gray  uniforms  unt  odder  dings  to  de  Secession- 
ists, dey'd  talk  to  one  anodder  righd  pefore  me  as  to  vhat 
vass  peing  done,  unt  I'd  keep  my  ears  vide  open  all  de 
dime,  though  I  seemt  to  pe  only  dinking  apout  de  fit  unt 
de  puttons  unt  de  kold  lace. 

"Den  Cheneral  Lyon  vanted  to  find  oud  chust  eggsackly 
how  many  men  dere  vass  in  Gamp  Chackson — no  kuess- 
vork— no  subbose.  I  dook  2,000  off  my  pizniss  kards, 
brinted  on  vhite,  unt  1,000  brinted  on  gray  baper.  I  vent 
troo  de  whole  camp.  To  effery  man  in  uniform  I  gif  a 
vhite  gard;  to  effery  man  w^iddout  a  uniform,  who  seemed 
to  pe  dere  for  earnest,  I  gif  a  gray  gard.  Yhen  I  got  pack 
I  gounted  my  gards  in  Cheneral  Lyon's  office,  unt  fount 
I'd  gif  oud  500  vhite  gards  unt  200  gray  vuns.  Den  Chen- 
eral Lyon  dook  oud  apout  3,000  men,  unt  prot  de  whole 
crowd  back  mit  him." 

"Great  man  that  Gen.  Lyon,"  sighed  the  Deacon.  "Too 
bad  he  was  killed  so  soon." 

"Den  Cheneral  Lyon,"  continued  Ilosenbaum,  "sent  me 
out  vrom  Sbringfielt,  Mizzoori,  too  see  how  many  men  olt 
Bap  Brice  unt  Pen  McCullough  had  gaddered  up  akenst 
him  from  Mizzoori,  Argansaw,  Dexas  unt  de  blains.  Holy 
Moses,  I  vass  scared  vhen  I  see  de  pile  of  dem.  De 
whole  vorldt  seemt  out  dar,  yipping  unt  yelling  vor  Cheff 
Tavis,  trinking  raw  sod-corn  vhisky,  making,  secession 
speeches,  unt  shooding  ad  marks. 

"I  rode  rightd  into  dem,  unt  bretendet  dat  I  vass  look- 
ing vor  Megzican  silfer  tollars  to  dake  to  Megzico  to  puy 
bowder  unt  leadt  vor  de  reppel  army.  I  hat  a  lot  of  new 
Gonfedrit  notes  dat  I'd  kot  vrom  my  gousin,  who  vass  in 
de  topacco  pizniss  in  Memphis).    Dey  vass  kreat  guriosi- 


THE  JEW  SPY  TELLS  HIS  STORY- 


245 


ties,  uut  effery  man  who  had  a  Megsican  tollar  vanted  to 
drade  it  vor  a  Confedrit  tollar. 

"Dere  vass  no  use  dryin'  to  gount  de  men — might  as 
veil  have  dried  to  gount  de  leafs  on  de  drees,  so  I  pegun 
to  gount  de  rechiments.  I  stuck  a  pin  in  my  righd  lapel 
for  effery  Mizzoori  rechim^nt,  vun  in  my  left  lapel  for 
effery  Argansaw  rechiment,  ant  vun  in  my  vest  for  effery 
vun  vrom  Dexas.  I  hat  plack  pins  for  de  gannons.  1 
vass  ketting  along  very  veil,  vhen  I  run  agross  Bob 
Smiles,  a  tirty  loafer,  who  had  been  a  gustomer  in  St. 
Louis.  He  vouldn't  bay  me,  unt  I  hat  to  ket  oud  a  writ 
unt  levy  on  his  gloze  yoost  as  he  vass  dressing  to  ko  to 
a  quadroon  ball. 

"1  left  him  mit  only  a  neckdie,  vhich  vas  vorth  nutting 
to  me,  as  id  hat  peen  vorn  and  soiled.  lie  vass  very  sore 
akenst  me,  unt  I  vass  not  surbrized.  It  made  me  zick 
ad  my  sdcmaeh  vhen  I  saw  him  gome  up. 

"'Hello,  you  tamt  Tutch  Chew,'  he  said.  ^Yhat  are 
you  toing  here?' 

"I  dried  to  pe  very  bleasant,  unt  I  but  oud  my  hant  un- 
said, mit  my  pest  smile  ■ 

"'Koot  kracious,  Fob,  how  glat  I  am  to  see  you.  Vhen 
tit  you  ket  here?  Are  you  veil?  How  are  de  udder  poys? 
Who's  here?   Vhere  are  you  sdopping?' 

"Tut  I  mighd  as  veil  haf  dried  to  make  vriends  mit  a 
pull  tog  in  vront  of  a  varm  house  vhere  all  te  people  hat 
kone  afay.' 

"^Ko  to  plazes,'  he  said.  ^None  of  your  pizniss  how^  I 
am,  or  how  I  got  here,  or  how  de  iidder  poys  are.  Fetter 
not  let  dem  vind  oud  you're  here.  Dey'll  dake  it  oud  of 
your  CheAV  hide  for  de  vay  you  ust  to  skin  dcm  in  St. 
Louis.    I  vant  to  knowM'hat  de  teffel  you  are  toing  here'? 

"^Now,  Misder  Smiles,'  I  said,  bleasant  as  a  May  morn- 
ing, ^dot's  nod  de  vay  to  dalk  to  me.  You  know  I  got  ub 
de  stjlishest  gloze  unt  de  pest  vits  in  St.  Louis.   Ye  hat 


241 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


a  little  druable,  it  is  drue.  It  vass  nutting,  tnougn, 
Yoost  a  little  pizness  disbute.  You  know  1  alfays  dought 
you  vun  of  de  very  nicest  men  in  St.  Louis,  unt  I  said  so, 
efen  to  de  Squire  unt  to  de  Constable.* 

""Ko  mit  de  teffel,  you  Savior-killing  CheAv/  said  he. 
'Shut  up  your  mouth,  or  Fll  stuff  a  biece  of  bork  in  it. 
I  Tant  to  know  ad  vonce  vhat  you  are  toing  town  here? 
Vhere  did  you  gome  vrom?' 

I  gome  A^rom  Memphis/  said  I.  Tm  in  de  serfice  of 
de  Southern  Gonfedrisy.  Cheneral  Billow  sent  me  to 
gadder  up  all  de  Megsican  tollars  I  gould  vind,  to  sent  to 
Megsico  to  puy  ammunition.' 

"'Id's  a  lie,  of  gourse,'  said  he.  'A  Chew'd  radder  lie 
dan  ead,  any  tay.  Den  you're  vun  of  dem  St.  Louis 
Dutch — dem  imborted  ITessians.  Dey're  all  dead  akensl 
us.  Dey  all  ought  to  be  killed.  I  ought  to  kill  you  my- 
self for  peing  so  cussed  mean  to  me.' 

"He  put  his  hand  on  his  revolfer  in  a  vay  dat  made 
my  breakfast  sour  on  my  sthomach,  but  den  I  knew  dat 
Pob  Smiles  vass  a  kreat  plowhard,  unt  his  park  vase 
much  vorse  dan  his  pite.  In  St.  Louis  he  vass 
alfays  koing  to  vite  somepody  unt  kill  somepody,  put  he 
neffer  tone  neither.  Kvite  a  growd  gaddered  roundt,  unt 
Fob  plew  off  to  dem,  unt  dey  yelled, 

*''Hang  de  Chew  sby.  Kill  de  tam  rasgal,' 
unt  odder  tings  dat  made  me  unhappy.  Put  vhat 
made  my  vlesh  grawl  vass  to  see  a  man  who  vasn't  say- 
ing much  ko  to  a  vagon,  pull  oud  a  rope  unt  pegin  makin 
a  noose  on  de  ent.  Pob  Smiles  gaught  hold  of  my  gollar 
unt  started  to  trag  me  dovard  a  dree.  Yoost  as  I  vass 
gifmg  up  everything  for  lost,  up  gomes  Chim  Chones — de 
same  man  I'm  koing  to  meed  here — he  gome  runnin'  up. 
He  vass  dressed  in  vull  uniform  as  a  reppel  officer — 
kray  goat  unt  bants,  silfer  stars  on  his  gollar,  high  boots, 
kray  slouched  hat  mit  kold  gord,  unt  so  on. 


THE  JEW  SPY  TELLS  HIS  STOEY.  247 

''^Here,  vliat  ist  madder?  That's  all  dis  fuss  in 
gamp?'  he  said. 

"•"We've  ketched  run  of  dem  Tutch  Chews  vrom  St. 
Louis  shying  our  gamp,  Major.'  said  Fob  Smiles,,  ledding 
loose  of  mr  gollar  to  salute  de  Major's  silfer  stars.  'And 
ve  are  koing  to  hang  him.' 

"'A  sby?  How  do  you  know  he's  a  sby?'  asked  Chim 
Chones. 


TRYING  TO  SAVE  HIS  XECK. 

/'•'Tell,  he's  Tmch:  he's  a  Chew,  unt  he's  vrom  St-. 
Louis.  Tat  more  do  you  rant?'  asked  Fob- Smiles.  De 
growd  yelled,  unt  de  man  mit  de  rope  vent  to  de  dree 
unt  flung  vun  end  ofer  a  limb. 

"'His   peing  a  St.  Louis  Dutchman  iss  ake/_j^t  him/ 


248  BI  KLEGd-  AND  SHOETT 

said  CHim  Chones.  'But  his  peing  a  Chew  iss  in  his 
favor.  A  Chew  ton't  gare  a  blame  for  bolitics.  He  hain't 
got  no  brincibles.  He'd  radder  make  a  picayune  off  you 
in  a  drade  dan  haf  a  vagon-load  of  brincibles.  But  you 
vellers  haf  got  notting  to  do  mit  sbies,  anyvay.  Dat's 
headquarters  pizniss.  Fm  an  officer  at  Cheneral  Brice's 
headquarters.  I'll  dake  him  up  dere  unt  ecksamine  him, 
Pring  him  along.' 

"^Ko  along,  Chew/  said  two  or  dree  off  dem,  gifing  me 
kicks,  as  Fob  Smiles  sdarted  mit  me.  De  man  mit  de 
rope  shtood  py  de  dree  looking  very  disappointed. 

"Vhen  ve  got  near  Cheneral  Brice's  dent,  Chim  Chones 
says  to  de  rest: 

"'You  shtop  dere.  Gome  along  mit  me,  Chew.' 

*"He  dook  me  py  de  goUar,  unt  ve  valked  toward  Chen- 
eral Brice's  dent.  He  vhispered  to  me  as  ve  vent  along: 
You're  all  righd,  Rosenbaum.  I  know  you,  unt  I  know 
vhat  you're  here  for.  Yoost  keeb  a  sdiff  ubber  lip,  dell 
your  sdory  sdraighd,  unt  Fll  see  you  drough.' 

"Dat  scared  me  vorse  dan  effer,  but  all  dat  I  gould  do 
vass  to  keep  up  my  nerfe,  unt  play  my  karts  goolly.  Ve 
vent  into  de  Cheneral's  dent,  but  he  vass  busy,  unt 
motioned  us  mit  his  handt  to  de  Adjutant-Cheneral. 

"'Vat's  de  matter?'  asked  de  Adjutant-Cheneral,  mo- 
tioning me  to  sit  down,  vhile  he  vent  on  making  tally 
marks  on  a  sheet  off  loose  baper,  as  a  man  galled  off  de 
rechiments  dat  hat  reported.  Den  he  footed  dem  all  up, 
unt,  turning  to  anodder  officer,  read  vrom  it  so  many 
Argansas  rechiments,  so  many  Louisianny,  so  many  Miz- 
zoori,  so  many  Dexas,  so  many  patteries  of  ardillery,  unt 
he  said  to  anodder  officer  as  he  laid  de  paper  face  down 
among  de  odder  bapers  on  his  table,  'Yoost  as  I  tolt  you, 
Colonel.  We  haf  vully  22^000  men  here  ready  for  pattle.' 
Den  to  us :    'Veil,  now,  vhat  gan  I  do  for  you?' 

"'De  poys  had  bicked  up  dis  Chew  for  a  sby.  Colonel/ 


THE  JEW  SPY  TEtLS  HIS  SfOEY.    "  -  249 

said  Chim  CHones.  pointing  to  me,  ^unt  dey  vere  apout  to 
hang  him,  yoost  to  pass  avay  de  afternoon  more  dan  for 
anything  else.  I  dook  him  avay  from  dem,  delling  dem 
dat  id  vass  your  privileeh  to  hang  sbies,  unt  yon  gould 
do  it  aggording  to  de  science  of  war.  I  prung  him  ub 
here  to  ket  him  avay  vrom  dem.  After  dey've  gone  avay 
or  got  inderested  in  something  else  T'll  dake  him  unt  put 
him  Gudside  of  gamiD.''  .  ' 


"I  KNOW  YOU,  UNT  I  KXOW  VHAT  YOU'EE  HERE  FOR." 

;  *''A11  righd/  said  de  Adjutant-General,  mitout  daking 
much  inderest  in  de  madder.  'Do  mit  him  as  you  blease. 
A  Chew  more  or  less  isn't  of  any  gon sequence.  Brobably 
he  deserfes  hanging,  though,  put  id  isn't  well  to  en- 


250 


SI  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


gourage  de  poys  to  hang  men  on  sight.    Dey're  quite  too 
ready  ito  do  dat  any vay.' 

"Pie  dalked  to  de  udder  man  a  liddle,  unt  den  vhen  he 
Tent  away  he  durned  to  me,  unt  said,  sort  of  lazy  like, 
as  if  he  titn't  gare  anyding  apout  it:  , 

"^Vhere  are  you  vrom?'  ; 
/"Vrom  Memphis, Vsaid  1. 

"'Kreat  blace,  Memphis/  said  he;  'vun  of  de  thriving 
suburbs  of  Satan's  Kingdom.  Had  lots  of  vun  deie,  I 
know  effery  faro  bank  in  it,  which  speaks  veil  for  my 
memory,  if  not  for  my  morals.  _  Vhat  pizniss  vas  you  in?' 
^  "^Glc^ing,'  saidL  '  '  ^  J 

""That  a  fool  question  to  ask  a  Chew  vhat  piziness  he 
vass  in,'  said  he,  yawning.  ^Of  gourse  you  vass  in  de 
gloding  drade.  You  vass  porn  in  it.  All  Chews  haf  pin 
since  dey  gambled  for  de  Savior's  garments.' 

"^Dey  vassn't  Chews  vhat  gambled  for  Christ's  gloze,^ 
said  I,  bicking  up  a  liddle  gourage.  'Dey  vass  Romans-r- 
Italians— Dagoes.'  - 

"/Vass  dey?'  said  he.    ^Vell,  meppe  dey  vas.   I  have-  i 
n't  read  my  Piple  for  so  long  dat  I've  glean  forgot.  Say, 
vhat  are  you  toing  mit  all  dem  bins?' 

"De  question  gome  so  unegspegted  dat  it  gome  near 
knocking  me  off  my  pase.  I  hat  galgulated  on  almost 
effery  odder  bossible  ting,  unt  vass  ready  for  it,  egsept 
dat  vool  question.  I  thought  foj  a  minit  dat  disappointed 
man  by  de  dree  mit  de  rope  vass  koing  to  ket  his  chob  - 
after  all.  But  I  gaddered  myself  togedder  mit  a  I'erk,  unt 
galmly  said  mit  a  smile: 

"'0,  dat's  some  of  my  voolishncss.  I  gan't  ket  pfer 
peing  a  dailor,  and  sticking  all  de  bins  what  I  find  in  my 
lapel.  -  I  must  bick  up  effery  vun  I  S€5e.'  ; 

"^Queer  vhere  you  .found  dem  all,'  s.aid  he^  *Must've 
brung  :dem  vrom  Memphis  mit  yoi^.  I  gan't  find  vun  in 
de  whole  gamp.  ,  Our  men  u^e  ;n^jls  unt  thorns  instead 


THE  JEW  SrY  TELLS  HIS  STOKY. 


251 


of  bins.  I've  peen  Tantine  a  lot  of  bins  for  my  bapers. 
Let  me  haf  all  you  got.    1  visb  you  liacl  a  paper  of  clem.' 

''l  did  have  two  or  tbree  bapers  in  my  bcckets.  unt 
Tirst  I  hat  a  vool  idea  of  offering  dem  to  liim.  Den  I  re- 
mempered  dat  disappointed  man  mat  de  rope  by  de  dree, 
unt  bulled  de  bins  oud  of  my  lapels  vun  by  vun  unt  gif 
dem  to  him,  drying  to  keep  gount  in  my  head  as  1  tit  so. 

"'Vhat  are  you  toing  here,  anyvay?'  he  asked  as  he 
gaddered  up  de  bins  unt  put  dem  in  a  basteboard  box. 

'''I  gome  here  ad  Cheneral  Billow's  orders,  to  pick  up 
some  Megzigan  silfer  tollars,  to  puy  ammunition  in  Meg- 
zigo.' 

"'Anudder  of  olt  plowhard  Billow's  fool  schemes/  said 
he.  'I  know  old  Billow.  I  serfed  mit  him  in  Megzigo, 
Then  he  dug  his  ditch  on  de  wrong  side  of  his  Tortifica- 
tion.  He's  brobably  koing  to  do  something  else  mit  de 
tollars  dan  puy  ammunition.  Old  Gid  Billow's  a  mighty 
slick  Yun,  I  dell  you,  vhen  id  gomes  to  villing  his  own 
bockets.  He's  no  vool  dere,  vhatever  he  may  pe  in  odder 
Yays.  He's  vorking  some  scheme  to  skin  our  men,  unt 
making  you  his  bartner,  den  he'll  durn  around  unt  skin 
you.  I'll  sdop  id  koing  any  furdei  by  durning  you  oud  of 
gamp,  unt  I  ought  to  dake  avay  vrom  you  all  de  money 
you've  gaddered  up,  but  I  vont  do  id  on  vun  gondition.' 

"'That  iss  your  gondition?'  said  I,  drying  not  to  sbeak 
too  quick. 

"'You  say  you  are  in  de  gloding  bizniss.  I  vant  awfully 
a  nice  uniform,  yoost  like  de  Alajor's  dere.  That's  such 
a  uniform  vorth?' 

'''Apoud  $75,'  said  I. 

'''I  paid  $65  for  dis  in  St.  Louis,'  said  Chim  Chones.  ""^ 
*''Vell,  $10  iss  not  much  of  a  skin  for  a  Memphis  Chew, 
laughed  de  Adiutant-General.    'I  tell  you  vhat  I'll  do,  if 
you'll  sYear  py  de  pook  of  Deuteronomy,  imt  Moses, 
Apraham  unt  Isaac,  to  haf  me  insite  of  two  Yeeks  yoost 


252 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY, 


sueh  a  uniform  as  de  Major's  dere,  Pll  led  you  off  mit 
ail  de  money  you  haf  made  alretty,  un  vhen  you  gome 
pack  mit  it  I'll  gif  you  written  bermission  to  drade  vor 
effery  silfer  dollar  in  gamp.' 

*"Id  iss  a  pargain/  said  I. 

"'Unt  id'll  pe  a  berfect  fit/  said  he. 

"'Yoost  like  de  baper  on  de  vail/  said  I.  'Led  me  dake 
your  measure.' 

had  my  eye  all  de  dime  on  de  baper  he  had  laid 
garelessly  town  unt  forgotten.  I  bulled  my  tape-meas- 
ure oud.  De  olt  idee  of  de  dailor  gome  up.  I  forgot 
apoud  de  disappointed  man  mit  de  rope  py  de  dree,  unt 
vass  my  old  self  daking  de  measure  of  a  gustomer.  I  put 
all  de  vigures  town  on  his  biece  of  baper,  mitout  |his 
nodicing  vhat  I  vass  using.  I  asked  him  aboud  de  lining, 
de  drimming,  unt  de  boekets,  unt  wrote  dem  town.  Den 
I  voided  up  de  baper  imt  sduck  id  in  my  preast  bocket, 
unt  my  heart  gif  a  pig  chump,  though  I  kept  my  vace 
sdraight,  unt  vent  on  dalking  apout  puttons  unt  silk 
praid  unt  kold  lace  for  de  sleefes.  I  bromised  him  he 
shoult  haf  de  vinest  uniform  in  de  army  in  two  veeks 
dime.  Yoost  den  some  officers  gome  in,  unt  Chim 
Chones  hurried  me  oud.  I  gould  nod  understant  Chim 
Chones.  He  hurried  me  agross  to  a  blace  pehint  de 
voods,  vhere  ve  found  some  horses. 

*'^Untie  dat  one  unt  ket  on,  gvick,'  he  said.  'My  Gott, 
youVe  got  de  thing  dead  to  righds,  you've  got  effery 
ding  on  dat  biece  of  baper.  My  Gott,  vhat  luck! 
Smartest  ting  I  effer  saw  done.  Ket  that  baper  in  Chen- 
eral  Lyon's  hands  bevore  midnight  if  you  kill  yourself 
unt  horse  in  toing  id.  I'll  dake  you  oud  past  part  of  de 
guarts,  unt  show  you  how  to  afoid  de  rest.  Den  rite  as 
if  de  teffel  vass  after  you,  until  you're  at  Cheneral  Lyon's 
dent.' 

*'I  vas  dumffounded.   I  looked  ad  Chim  Chones.  His 


THE  JEW  SPY  TELLS  HIS  STORY.  ,^25  3 

eyes  vass  like  vire.  Den  it  suttenly  oggurred  to  me  dat 
Chim  Cliones  vass  a  sby,  too. 

"As  I  mounted  I  looked  back  agross  de  gamp.  I  saw 
de  rope  still  hanging  vrom  a  lim\>  of  de  dree,  and  de  dis- 
appointed man  sitting  toAvn  peside  id  patiently  yaiting^j 


EIDING  FOR  GEN.  LYON'S  HEADQUARTERS 


*'Dat  nighd  de  baper  vas  in  Cheneral  Lyon's  hands, 
unt  de  next  nighd  de  army  moved  oud  to  vight  de  pattle 
of  Vilson's  Greek. 

"De  Adjutant-Cheneral  is  still  vaiting  for  dat  uniform." 

"Halt,  who  comes  there?"  called  out  Shorty,  whose 
quick  ears  caught  the  sound  of  approaching  footsteps 

"The  Officer  of  the  Guard,"  responded  from  the  bank  of 
eilifkness  in  the  rear. 


254 


SI   KLEGG    AND  SHORTY. 


"Advance  Officer  of  the  Guard,  and  give  tlie  counter- 
sign/' commanded  Shcrty,  lowering  his  musket  to  a 
charge  bayonets. 

The  officer  advanced,  leaned  over  the  bayonet's  point 
and  whispered  the  countersign. 

"Countersign's  correct,"  announced  Shorty,  bringing 
his  gun  to  a  present.  "Gocd  evening,  Lieutenant.  We 
have  got  a  man  here  who  claims  to  belong  to  the  Secret 
Service." 

"Yes,"  answered  the  officer.  We've  been  expecting 
him  all  afternoon,  but  thought  he  Avas  coming  in  on  the 
other  road.  I'd  have  been  around  here  long  ago  only  for 
that.  This  is  he,  is  it?  Well,  let's  hurry  in.  They 
want  you  at  Headquarters  as  soon  as  possible." 

"Kood  nighd,  poys,"  called  out  Mr.  Rosenbaum  as  he 
disappeared;  "sec  you  again  soon  " 


THE  BEACON  <^ES  HOME, 


CHAPTEE  XXR^ 

THE  DEACON  GOES  HOME— SHOKTY  FALLS  A  VICTIM  TO  HIS 
GAMBLING  PROPENSITIES. 

The  boys  did  not  finish  their  tour  of  picket  duty  till 
the  forenoon  of  the  next  day^  and  it  was  getting  toward 
evening  when  they  reached  their  oayu  camp. 

"What  in  the  world's  going  on  at  the  house?"  Si  askea 
anxiously,  as  they  were  standing  on  the  regimental  pa- 
rade ground  waiting  to  be  dismissed.  Strange  sounds 
came  floating  from  that  direction.  The  scraping  of  a 
fiddle  was  mingled  with  yells,  the  rush  of  feet,  and 
aughter. 

"I'll  go  over  there  and  see,"  said  the  Deacon,  who  had 
sat  down  behind  the  line  on  a  pile  of  the  things  they  had 
brought  back  with  them.  He  picked  up  the  coffee-pot, 
the  frying-pan,  and  one  of  the  haversacks,  and  walked 
in  the  direction  of  the  house.  As  he  turned  into  the 
company  street  and  came  in  sight  of  the  cabin  he 
looked  for  an  instant,  and  then  broke  out: 

"I'm  blamed  if  they  don't  seem  to  be  havin'  a  nigger 
political  rally  there,  with  the  house  as  campaign  head- 
quarters. Where  in  time  could  they  have  all  come  from? 
Looks  like  a  crow-roost,  with  some  o'  the  crows  drunk." 

^Apparently,  all  the  negro  cooks,  teamsters,  officers' 
servants,  and  roustabouts  from  the  adjoining  camps  had 
been  gathered  there,  with  Groundhog,  Pilgarlic,  and  simi- 
lar specimens  of  the  white  teamsters  among  them  and 
leading  them  on. 

Seated  on  a  log  were  three  negroes,  one  sawing  on  an 
old  fiddle,  one  picking  a  banjo,  and  one  playing  the 
bones.   Two  negroes  were  in  the  center  of  a  ring,  danc- 


256 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


ing,  while  the  others  patted  "Juba."  All  were  more  or 
less  intoxicated.  Groundhog  and  Fiigarlic  yyeie  en- 
deavoring to  get  up  a  fight  between  Abraham  Lincoln 
and  another  stalwart,  stupid  negro,  and  were  plying  them 
with  Avhisky  from  a  canteen  and  egging  them  on  with 
words. 


THE  NEGEOES  MERRYMAKING. 

The  Deacon  strode  up  to  Groundhog  and  catching  him 
by  the  arm  demanded  sternly: 

"What  are  you  doin^,  you  miserable  scoundrel?  Stop 
it  at  once.'* 

Groundhog,  who  haa  arunk  considerably  himself,  and 
w^as  pot-valiant,  shook  him  off  roughly,  saying: 
"G'way  from  here^  you  dumbed  citizen.    This  haint. 


THE  DEACON  GOES  HO^IE. 


257 


none  c  your  bizniss.    Go  back  to  your  liaymoW;  and 

leave  soldiers  alone.'' 

The  Deacon  began  divesting  himself  of  liis  burden  to 
prepare  for  action,  but  before  he  could  do  so  Shorty 
rushed  in,  gave  Groundhog  a  vigorous  kick,  and  he  and 
Si  dispersed  the  rest  of  the  crowd  in  a  hurry  with  sharp 
cuffs  upon  all  that  they  cotdd  reach.  The  meeting  broke 
up  without  a  motion  to  adjourn. 

The  Deacon  caught  Abraham  Lincoln  by  the  collar  and 
shook  him  vigorously. 

^'Yoti  black  rascal,"  he  said,  ^VhatVe  you  bin  up  to?" 

''Didn't  'spect  you  back  so  soon.  Boss,"  gasped  the 
negro.    "Said  you  wouldn't  be  back  till  ter-morrer." 

"Xo  matter  when  you  expected  us  back,"  said  the 
Deacon,  shaking  him  still  harder,  while  Si  winked  mean- 
ingly at  Shorty.  ''IVhat  d'ye  mean  by  sich  capers  as 
this?   You've  bin  a-drinkin'  likker,  yoti  brute." 

''Cel'brattm  my  freedom,"  gasped  the  negro.  '^Ground- 
hog done  tole  me  to." 

'■'I'd  like  to  celebrate  his  razzled  head  offen  him,"  ex- 
ploded the  Deacon.  "I'll  welt  him  into  dog's-meat  hash 
if  I  kin  lay  my  hands  on  him.  He's  too  mean  and  wtith- 
less  to  even  associate  with  mules.  If  I'd  a  dog  on  my 
place  as  ornery  as  he  is  I'd  ^ive  him  a  btitton  before 
night.  He's  not  content  with  bein'  a  skunk  himself, 
he  wants  to  drag  everybody  else  down  to  his  level. 
Learnin'  you  to  drink  whisky  and  fight  as  scon  as  you'ie 
out  o'  bondage.  Xext  thing  he'll  be  learnin'  you  to  steal 
sheep  and  vote  for  Vallandigham.  I'd  like  to  put  a  sf.ons 
arotmd  his  neck  and  feed  him  to  the  cathsh."' 

There  ^^  as  something  so  strange  and  earnest  about  the 
Deacon's  wrath  that  it  impressed  the  negro  more  than 
any  of  the  most  lerrible  exhibitions  of  wrath  that  he  had 
5  C 


258 


SI  KLEGG  AND  SHORTY. 


seep  Ills  master  make.  He  cowered  down,  and  began 
crying  in  a  maudlin  way  and  begging  :  , 

"Pray  God,  Boss,  don't  be  so  hard  on/a  poqr  nigger. 

Si,  who  had  learned  something  more  of  the  slave  nature 
than  his  father,  ended  the  unpleasant  scene  by  giving 
Abraham  Lincoln  a  sharp  slap  across  Ae  laips  with  a 
piece  of  clapboard  and  ordering: 

"Pick  up  that  camp-kettle,  go  to  the  spring  and  fill  it, 
and  git  back  here  in  short  meter." 

The  blow  came  to  the  negro  as  a  welcbm^  relief.  It 
was  something  that  he  could  understaiid.  He  sprang  to 
his  feet,  grinned,  snatched  up  the  camp-kettle,  and  rail  to 
the  spring. 

"I  must  get  that  man  away  from  here  witlibut  aelay," 
said  the  Deacon.  "The  influences  here  are  awful. 
They'll  ruin  him.  He'll  lose  his  soul  if  he  stays  Here. 
I'll  start  home  with  him  to-morrow." 

"He'll  do  worse'n  lose  his  soul,"  griihiBled  Shorty, 
who  had  been  looking  over  the  provisions.  "He'll  lose 
the  top  of  his  woolly  head  if  he  brings  another  gang  o' 
coons  around  here  to  eat  us  out  o'  house  and  home.  I'll 
be  gosh  durned  if  I  don't  believe  they've  et'  u]^  eveii  all 
the  salt  and  soap.  There  aint  a  crumb  left  of  anything. 
Talk  about  losin'  his  soul.  I'd  give  sii  bits  for  some- 
thing to  make  him  lose  his  appetite."  ' 

I'll  take  him  home  to-morrow,"  reiterated  the  D^acoii. 
"I  raised  over  'leven  hundred  bushels  o'  torii  last  year, 
'bout  500  o'  wheat,  and  just  an  even  ton  o'  pork.  I  kin 
feed  him  awhile,  anyway,  but  I  don't  know  aS  I'd  chance 
two  ol  hmi.^' 

"What '11  jou  do  if  you  have  him  and  the  irf  as  shoppers 
the  same  y^ar.  Pap?"  inquired  Si.  ■    -      ^  ' 

That  night  the  Deacon  began  his  preparations  for  re-  ' 
turning  home.    He  had  gathered  up  many  relics  from 
the  battlefield  to  distribute  among  his  fi-fendS  M  home  j 


THE  DEACON  GOES  HOME, 


259 


and  decorate  the  family  mantlepiece.  There  were  frag- 
ments of  exploded  shells,  some  canister,  a  broken  bayo- 
net, a  smashed  musket,  a  solid  12-poiind  shot,  and  a  quart 
or  more  of  battered  bullets  picked  tip  in  his  walks  over 
the  scenes  of  the  heavy  fightine. 

''Looks  as  it  you  were  ^''^iji'"  into  the  iunk  Inisiness, 
Pap."'  commented  Si,  as  the  store  was  gathered  on  the 
Hoor. 

The  faithful  old  striped  carpotsack  was  brou^rht  out, 
and  its  handles  repaiied  witli  stout  s:raps.  The  thrifty 
Deac'On  insisted  on  takiiv^^  heme  some  of  Si's  and 
Shorty's  clothes  to  be  mended.    The  boys  protesied. 

'■"\Vo  don't  mend  clothes  in  the  army.  Pap."  said  Si. 
''They  aiiit  wuth  it.  We  iust  wear  'em  out_,  throw  'em 
aAvay.  and  draw  new  ones.'' 

The  Deacon  held  out  that  his  ni'^ther  and  sisters  woidd 
fake  great  pleasure  in  workir.g  cn  such  things,  from  the 
feeling  that  they  were  helping'  the  war  cilong.  Finally 
the  matter  was  ccmprcmised  by  putting  in  seme  socks  to 
be  darned  and  shirts  to  be  mended.  Then  the  buIletSj 
canister,  round-shot.  iraj;mcnts  uf  shell,  etc..  were  iilled 
in. 

''I  declare.''  said  the  Deacon  dubiously,  as  he  hefted 
the  carpeisack.  ''It's  goin'  to  be  a  job  to  lug  that  thin;,^ 
back  home.  Better  hire  a  mule-team.  But  I'll  try  ir. 
Mebbe  it'll  help  woik  seme  o'  the  stupidity  out  o'  Abra- 
ham Lincoln.'' 

The  whole  of  Co.  Q  and  most  of  the  regiment  had 
grown  very  fond  of  the  Deacon,  and  when  ir  W21>  noised 
around  that  he  was  going,  they  c  rowded  in  to  say  good- 
by.  and  give  him  letters  and  money  to  take  koioe.  The 
remaining  space  in  the  carpetsack  and  all  th^it  m  the 
Deacon's  many  pockets  were  filled  with  these. 

The  next  morning  the  company  turned  out  tc  a  man 
and  escorted  hut\      the  train,  with  Si  and  his  father 


260 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


marcbing  arm-in-arm  at  the  headj  the  company  fifers 
playing 

'^Aint  I  glad  to  get  out  of  the  Wilderness^  ^ 
Way  down  in  Tennessee,'* 

flind  Abraham  Lincoln,  laden  with  the  striped  carpetsack, 
the  smashed  musket  and  other  relics,  bringing  up  the 
rear,  under  the  superAasion  of  Shorty. 

Tears  stood  in  the  old  man's  eyes  as  he  stood  on  the 
platform  of  the  car,  and  grasped  Si's  and  Shorty's  hands 
in  adieu.  His  brief  iarewell  was  characteristic  of  the 
strong,  self-contained  Western  man: 

"Good-by,  boys.  Gcd  bless  you.  Take  care  o'  your- 
selves.   Be  good  boys.    Come  hojue  safe  after  the  war." 

The  boys  stood  and  watched  the  train  with  sorroAvful 
eyes  until  it  had  passed  out  of  sight  in  the  woods  be- 
yond Overall's  Creek,  and  then  turned  to  go  to  their 
camp  with  a  great  load  of  homesickness  weighing  down 
their  hearts. 

"Just  think  of  it;  he's  going  straight  back  to  Gcd's, 
country,'"  said  someone  near. 

A  sympathetic  sigh  went  up  from  all 

"Shet  up,"  said  Shorty  savagely.  "I  don't  want  to 
hear  a  word  o'  that  kind."  He  pulled  his  cap  down  over 
his  eyes,  rammed  his  hands  deep  in  his  pockets,  and 
strode  off,  trying  to  whistle 

"When  this  cruel  war  is  over, 

but  the  attempt  was  a  dismal  failure.  Si  separated  from 
the  crowd  and  joined  him.  They  took  an  unfrequented 
and  roundabout  way  back  to  camp. 

''1  feel  all  broke  up,  Si,"  said  Shorty.  "I  wish  that  we 
were  goin'  into  a  fight,  or  some1:hing  to  stir  us  up." 

Si  understood  his  partner's  mood,  and  that  it  was  likely 
to  result  in  an  outbreak  of  some  kind.   He  tried  to  get 


SHORTY  FALLS  A  VICTIM  TO  GAMBLING. 


261 


him  over  to  the  house,  so  that  he  could  get  him  inter- 
ested in  work  there. 

They  came  to  a  little  hidden  ravine,  and  found  it  filled 
with  men  playing  that  most  fascinating  of  all  gambling 
games  to  the  average  soldier — chuck-a~luck.  There  were 
a  score  of  groups,  each  gathered  around  as  many  "sweat- 


MR.  KLEGG  STARTS  FOR  HOME. 


boards/  oume  of  the  men  "running''  the  games  were 
citizens,  and  some  were  in  uniform.  Each  had  before 
him  a  small  board  on  which  was  sometimes  painted^ 
sometimes  rudely  marked  with  charcoal,  numbers  from 
1  to  6.   On  some  of  the  boards  the  numbers  were  indi- 


262 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


cated  by  playing-cardsj  from  ace  to  six-spot,  tacked 
down.  The  man  who  "ran"  the  game  had  a  dice-box, 
with  three  dice.  lie  would  shake  the  box/ turn  it  upside 
down  on  the  board,  and  call  upon  the  group  in  front  of 
him  to  make  their  bets. 

The.players  would  deposit  their  money  on  the  numbers 
that  they  fancied,  and  then,  after  the  inquiry,  "All  down?" 
the  "banker"  would  raise  the  box  and  reveal  the  dice. 
Those  who  had  piit  their  money  on  any  of  the  three  num- 
bers which  had  turned  up,  w^ould  be  paid,  while  those 
who  bet  on  the  other  three  would  lose, 
i  Chuck-a-luck  was  strictly  prohibited  in  camp,  but  it 
was  next  to  impossible  to  keep  the  men  from  playing  it. 
Citizen  gamblers  would  gain  admittance  to  camp  under 
Various  pretexts  and  immediately  set  up  boards  in  se- 
cluded places,  and  play  till  they  Avere  discovered  and 
run  out,  by  which  time  they  would  have  made  enough 
to  make  it  an  inducement  to  try  again  whenever  tliey 
could  find  an  opportunity.  They  followed  the  army  in- 
cessantly for  this  purpose,  and  in  the  aggregate  carried 
off  immense  sums  of  the  soldiers'  pay.  Chuck-a-luck  is 
one  of  the  fairest  of  gambling  games,  Avhen  fairly  played, 
which  it  rarely  cr  never  is  by  a  professional  gambler.  A 
tolerably  quick,  expert  man  finds  little  difficulty  in  palm- 
ing the  dice  before  a  crowd  oi  careless  soldiers  so  as  to 
transfer  the  majcrity  of  their  bets  to  his  pocket.  The 
regular  citizen  gamblers  were  reinforced  by  numbers  of 
insatiable  chv:k-a-luckers  in  the  ranks,  who  would  set 
up  a  "board"  at  the  k-ast  chance,  even  under  the  enemy's 
tire,  while  waiting  the  order  to  move. 

Chuck-a-luck  was  Shorty's  greatest  weakness,  lie 
found  it  as  difficult  to  pass  a  chuck-a-lack  board  as  an 
incurable  drunkard  does  to  pass  a  dram-shop.  Si  knew 
this,  and  shuddered  a  little  as  he  saw  the  "layouts," 
and  tried  to  get  his  partner  past  them.    But  it  was  of  no 


SHORTY  FALLS  A  VICTIM  TO  GAMBLING. 


263 


use.  Shorty  was  in  an  intractable  mood.  He  must  liave 
a  strong  distraction.  If  he  could  not  %ht  he  would 
gamble. 

*Tm  goin'  to  bust  this  feller's  bank  before  I  go  another 
step,"  said  he,  stopping  before  one.  ''I  know  him.  He's 
the  same  feller  that,  you  remember,  I  busted  down  before 
Nashville,  I  kin  do  it  agin.  He's  a  bum  citizen  gam- 
bler. He  thinks  he's  the  smartest  chuck-a-lueker  in  the 
Army  o'  the  Cumberland,  but  I'll  learn  him  different.'- 

*'Don't  riskmore'n  a  dollar,"  begged  Si  as  a  final  ap- 
peal,        '  "        '^'^  ■],  V 

'  *^A11  down?"  called  the  ^'banker."       •   -    -  -'^  ^ 
"Allow  doublin'?"  inquired. Shorty 

"Double  as  much  as  you  blamed  please^  so  long's  you 
put  your  money  down,"  answered  the  "banker"  defiantly. 

"Well,  then)  here  goes  a  dollar  on  that  five-spot,"  said 
Shorty,  "skinning"  a  bill  from  a  considerable  roil. 

"Don't  allow'more'n  25  cents  bet  on  single  cards,  first 
bet,"  said^the  "banker,"  dismayed  by  the  size  of  the  roll. 

"Thought  you  had  some  sand,"  remarked  Shorty  con- 
temptuously. "Well,  then,  here's  25  cents  on  the  five- 
spot,  and  25  cents  on  the  deuce,"  and  he  placed  shin- 
plasters,  on  the  numbers .  Now,'  throw  them  dice  straight, 
and  no  fingerin.'    I'm  a-watchin' you.  • 

"Watch  and  be  durned,"'  said  the  banker,  surlily. 
"Watch  your  own  btisihess,  and  I'll  watch  mine.  I'm  as 
honest  as' you  "are  any  day."  ^  '  :l 

The  banker"  lifted  the  box,  and  showed  two  sixes  and 
ttay  up.  He  raked  in  the  bets  on  the  ace,  deuce,  four  and 
five-spots,-  and"  paid  the  others. 

"Fifty  cents  on  the  deuce;  50  cents  on  the  five,"  said 
•  Shorty,  laying  down  the  fractional  currency.      ^  ; 

Again  they  lost. 

"A  dollar  on  the  deuce;  a  dollar  on  the  fire/'  said 
Shorty*-      • -  ■ 


2G4 


SI   KLEGG    AND  SHORTY. 


The  same  ill  luek. 

'Tvro  dollars  on  the  deuce;  t-^vo  dollars  on  the  five/'' 
said  Shorty,  though  Si  in  vain  plucked  his  sleeve  to  get 
him  away. 

The  spots  remained  obstinately  down. 

"Four  dollars  on  the  deuce;  four  dollars  on  the  five," 
said  Shorty. 

No  better  luck 

''Eight  dollars  on  the  deuce;  eight  dollars  on  the  five," 
said  Shorty. 

"Whew,  there  goes  more'n  a  month's  pay,"  said  the 
other  players,  stopping  to  watch  the  dice  as  they  rolled 
out,  with  the  deuce  and  five  spot  somewhere  else  than 
on  top.  "And  his  roll's  beginning  to  look  as  if  an  ele- 
phant had  stepped  on  it.    Now  we^ll  see  his  sand." 

"Come,  Shorty,  yovi've  lost  enough.  You've  lost  too 
much  already.  Luck's  agin  you,"  urged  Si.  "Come 
away." 

"1  aint  goin',"  said  Shorty,  obstinately.  "Novv's  my 
chance  to  bust  him.  Every  time  them  spots  don't  ccme 
up  increases  the  chances  that  they'll  come  up  next  time. 
They've  got  to.  They're  not  loaded;  I  kin  tell  that  by  llie 
way  they  roll.  He  aint  fingerin'  'em;  Estopped  that 
when  I  made  him  give  'em  a  rollin'  throw,  instead  o' 
keepin'  'em  kiyyered  with  the  box." 

He  fingered  over  his  roll  carefully  and  counted  out  two 
piles  of  bills,  saying: 

"Sixteen  dollars  on  the  deuce;  sixteen  dollars  on  the 
five-spot.  And  I  aint  takin'  chances  o'  your  jumpin'  the 
game  on  me,  Mr.  Banker.  1  want  you  to  j^lank  down 
|32  alongside  o'  mine." 

Shorty  laid  dovvm  his  money  and  put  his  fists  on  it. 
"Now  put  yours  right  there." 

"0,  Eve  got  money  enough  to  pay  you.    Don't  be 


SHORTY  FALLS  A  VICTIM  TO  GATJBLIXG. 


265 


skeered;''  sneered  tlie  banker^  "and  you'll  git  it  if  you 
win  it." 

"You  bet  I  will/"'  answered  Shorty.    "And  I'm  goin'  to 
make  sure  by  bavin'  it  right  on  the  board  alongside 
mine.   Come  down,  now." 

The  proposition  met  the  favor  of  the  other  players,  and 
the  banker  was  constrained  to  comply, 

"'Xow/"  said  Shorty,  as  the  money  was  counted  down, 
"I've  got  jest  S20  more  that  says  that  I'll  win.  Put  her  up 
alongside." 

The  "banker"  was  game.  lie  pulled  out  a  roll  and  said 
as  he  thumbed  it  over: 

^T'll  see  your  $20,  and  go  you  $50  better  that  I  win." 

Shorty's  heart  beat  a  little  faster.  All  his  money  Avas 
up,  but  there  was  the  $50  which  the  Deacon  had  intrust- 
ed to  him  for  charitable  purposes.  He  slipped  his  hand 
into  his  bosom,  felt  it,  and  looked  at  Si.  Si  was  not 
looking  at  him,  but  had  his  eyes  fixed  on  a  part  of  the 
board  where  the  dice  had  been  swept  after  the  last  throw. 
Shorty  resisted  the  temptation  for  a  moment,  and  with- 
drew his  hand. 

"Come  down,  now,"  taunted  the  "banker."  "Yoti've 
blowed  so  much  about  sand.  Don't  weaken  over  a  littli^ 
thing  like  $50.  I'm  a  thoroughbred,  myself,  I  am.  The 
man  don't  live  that  kin  bluff  me." 

The  taunt  was  too  much  for  Shorty.  He  ran  his  hand 
into  his  bosom  in  desperation,  pulled  out  the  roll  of  the 
Deacon's  money,  and  laid  it  on  the  board. 

Si  had  not  lifted  his  eyes.  He  was  wondering  why  the 
flies  showed  such  a  liking  for  the  part  of  the  board  where 
the  dice  wore  lying.  Numbers  of  them  had  gathered 
there,  apparently  eagerly  feeding.  He  was  trying  to  un- 
derstand it. 

He  had  been  thinking  of  trying  a  little  shy  at  the  four- 
spot  himself,  as  he  had  noticed  that  it  had  never  won, 


266  SI  KLEGG  AND  SHOETY. 

and  two  or  three  times  he  had  looked  to  it  b^tee  the 
dice  wore  put  in  the  box,  and  had  seen  the  "banker"  turn 
it  down  on  the  board  before  picking  the -dic^  #p.  A 
thought  flashed  into  his  mind. 

The  "banker"  picked  up  the  dice  with  seeming  care- 
lessness, dropped  them  into  the  box,  gave  Ihem  a  little 
shake,  and  rolled  them  out.  Two  threes  and  a  six  came 
up.  The  "banker^s"  face  lighted  up -w^ith  'triumph,  and 
Shorty^s  deadened  into  acute  despair.  -  '  r  , 

"I  guess  that  little  change  is  mine,"  said  the  ""banker" 
teaching  for  the  pile.  '  ..,::r 

"Hold  on  a  minnit,  Mister,"  said  Sij  covering  the  pile 
with  his  massive  hands.  "Shorty,  look /at  them  dice. 
He's  got  molasses  r^r,  one  side.  You  kih'see  there  where 
the  flies  are  eatin'  it."  "  ■     • '  ' 

f^horty  snatched  Lip  the  dice,  felt  thein,  arid  touched 
his  tongue  to  one  side. '  "That's  so,  sure's  you're  a  foot 
high,"  said  he  sententiously.i  V 

Just  then  someone  yelled:         —  m*., 

"Scatter!  Here  come  the  guards!"  . 

All  looked  up.  A  company  coming  at  tjie  double-quick 
wa^  almost  upon  them.  The  *''banker"  made  a  final  des- 
perate claw  for  the  money,  but  was  met  by  the  h  eavy  fist  of 
Shorty  and  knocked  on  his  back.  Shorty  grabbed  what 
money  there  was  on  the  board,  and  he  and  Si  made  a 
burst  of  speed  which  took  them  out  of  the  reach  of  the 
*'provos"  iri  a  few  seconds.  Looking  back  from  a  safe 
distance  they  could  see  the  ^'bankers"  and  a  lot  of  th^ 
more  luckless  ones  being  gathered  together  to  march  to 
the  guard^house. 

"Anothei  detachment  of  horny-handed  laborers  for  the 
fortifiiiations,"  said  Shorty  grimly,  as  he  recovered  his' 
breathy  watched  them  and  sent  up  a  yell  of  triumph  and 
derision*    Another  contributioa  to  the  charity  fund,"  he 


SHORTY  FALLS  A  VICTIM  TO  GAMBLING. 


$67 


continued,  looking  clown  at  the  bunch  of  bills  and  frac- 
tional currency  in  his  hands. 

"Shorty/''  said  Si  earnestly,  "promise  me  solemnly  that 
you'll  never  bet  at  chuck-a-luck  agin  as  long  as  you 
live,"  ,  -.  ■  .  .    .  , 


''Si,  don't  ask  me  impossibilities.  But  I  >yant  70U  to 
take  every  cent  o'  this  money  and  keep  it.  Don't  you 
ever  give  me  more'n  $0  at  a  time,  under  any  considera- 
tion. Don't  you  do  it,  if  I  git  down  on  my  knees  and  ask 
for  it.  Lord,  how  nigh  I  come  to  Igsin'  that  ^oO  o^'  your 
father's." 


268 


SI  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

'  SOME  MORE  OF  MR.  LEVI  ROSENBAUM'S  ADVENTURES. 

Mr.  Rosenbaum  became  a  frequent  visitor  to  the  Hoos- 
ier's  Eest,  and  greatly  interested  Si  and  Shorty  with  his 
stories  of  adventure. 

"How  did  you  happen  to  come  into  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland?"  asked  Si.  "I'd  a-thought  you'd  staid 
where  you  knowed  the  country  and  the  people." 

"Hat  vass  yoost  de  drouble,"  replied  liosenbaum.  "I 
got  to  know  dem  ferry  veil;  but  dey  got  to  know  me  a 
gonfounded  sight  bedder.  Ven  I  vass  in  de  gioding  pis- 
niss  in  Saint  Louis  I  dried  to  haff  eferypoddy  know  me. 
I  atverdised.  I  vanted  to  pe  a  krate  pig  sunflower  dat 
eferypoddy  nodiced.  But  vhen  I  got  to  pe  a  sby  I  vanted 
to  pe  a  modest  liddle  violet  dat  hid  unter  de  leafes,  unt 
nopoddy  saw.  Den  efery  man  vhat  knowed  me  pecome 
a  danger,  unt  it  got  so  dat  I  shuddered  efery  dime  dat  I 
see  a  limp  running  oud  vrom  a  dree,  for  I  didn't  know 
how  soon  I  might  be  hung  from  it.  I  hat  some  awful 
narrow  escapes,  I  d^ll  you. 

"But  vhat  decided  me  to  leafe  de  gountfy  unt  skip  ofer 
de  Mississippi  Riffer  yas  someding  dat  habbened  down 
in  de  Postern  Mountains  yoost  pefore  de  pattle  of  Bea 
Ridge.  I  yas  down  .  dere  vatching  Van  Horn  unt  Pen 
McCullough  for  Cheneral  Curtis,  unt  vas  ketting  along 
all  righd.  I  vas  sdill  playing  de  olt  racket  apout  puying 
up  Megzigan  silfer  tollars  to  sent  to  Megzico  to  puy  am- 
munition. Vun  night  I  vass  sidding  at  a  campfire  mit 
two  or  three  udders,  vhen  a  growd  of  Dexans  gome  up. 
Dey  vas  yoost  trunk  enough  to  pe  devilish,  tint  had  a 
rope  mit  a  noose  on  de  endt,  yich  I  nodiced  vixst  ding.  I 


LEVI  ROSENBAUM'S  ADVEXTUEE3. 


269. 


hat  gotten  to  keep  a  sharp  lookoud  for  such  dings.  My 
flesh  ereeped  rhen  I  saw  dem.  I  dried  to  dink  vat  hat 
sdirred  dem  up  all  at  vonce,  but  couldn't  for  my  life  rec- 
ollect, for  efferyding  had  been  koing  on  all  righd^fpl 
seferal  days 


A  CLOSE  CALL  FOR  EOSENBAUM. 


"De  man  mit  de  rope— a  pig^  ugly  prute,  mit  red  hair 
unt  Yun  eye— says : 

"'You're  a  Chew,  aind  you?' 

'"Yes/  says        vas  porn  dat  vay/ 

"'Veil/  says  he;  've're  koing  to  hang  you  righd  off.' 
Unt  he  put  de  noose  arouni  my  neck  unt  pe^an  drying  to 
throw  de  uddei  endt  ofei  a  limb*^ 


270 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


"^Vhat  for?'  I  yelled,  drying  to  pull  de  rope  off  my  neck. 
'I  aind  done  nuttingf.' 

"'Haint  eh?'  said  de  man  mit  vun  eye.  'You  hook- 
nosed Chews  grucified  our  Safior/ 

"'Vhy,  you  red-headed  vool/  said  I,  ketehing  holt  off 
de  rope  mit  both  hands,  J^^^  habbened  more  as  1,800 
years  ako.    Let  me  go.'j 

"^I  ton't  gare  if  it  did/  said  de  vun-eyed  man,  gedding 
de  endt  of  de  rope  ofer  de  limb,  Ve  didn't  hear  apout  it  til 
de  Chaplain  tolt  us  dis  morning,  unt  den  de  poys  said 
ve'd  kill  effery  Chew  ve  gome  agross.  Ketch  holt  of  de 
endt  dere.  Bowers/ 

,  "De  udder  vellers  arount  me  laughed  at  de  Dexans  so 
dat  dey  finally  akreed  to  let  me  ko  if  Fd  bromise  not  to  do 
it  again,  holler  for  Cheff  Davis,  unt  dreat  all  around. 
Id  vas  a  vool  ding,  but  id  sgared  me  vorso'ji  anydii^g 
eJse,  unt  I  resolfed  to  ket  oud  of  dere  unt  ko  veie  de 
peoples  read  deir  Bibles  unt  de  newsbabers." 

"How  did  you  manage  to  keep  Geri.  Curtis  posted  as  to 
the  number  of  rebels  in  front  of  him?"  asked  Si.  "You 
couldn't  always  be  running  back  and  forth  from  one  army 
to  the  other,'' 

"0,  dat  vas  easy  enough.  You  isee,  Cheneral  Curtis 
vas;  advancing,  unt  de  rp  jpels  vailing  pack  most  of  de 
dime-  Dcie  vass  eabir*'::  affery  liddle  vays  along  de  roadt. 
All  dese  haf  krate  big  fireblaces,  built  of  smoot  rocks, 
vhich  dey  pick  up  uorl  of  do  creek  unt  wherever  dey  gan 
nnd  dem. 

"I'd  ko  into  dese  houses  unt  dalk  mit  de  people  unt 
blay  mit  de  chiltren.  I'd  sit  by  de  lire  unt  bick  up  a 
dead  ©oal  unt  mark  on  dese  smoot  rocks.  Sometimes 
I'd  draw  horses  unt  vagcns  unt  men  to  amuse  the  chilt- 
ren. Sometimes  I'd  dalk  to  de  olt  folks  apout  how  long 
-doy'd  peen  in  de  gountry,  how  many  bears  unt  deers  de 
man  hat  killed,  how  far  it  vas  to  de  next  blace,  how  de 


LEVI  ^bSENBAUM'S  ADVENTtllE3. 


271 


roads  "rtin,  uiit  so  6n,  unt  Fd  make  marks  on  de  jam  of 
de  fireplace  to  help  me  understand. 

"De  next  daiy  our  scouts  vould  come  in  unt  see  de 
marks  unt  understand  dem  yoost  as  veil  as  if  Td  v.rote 
dem  a  letter.  Fd  fixed  id  all  up  mit  dem  pefbre  I  left 
gamp. '  I  kin  draw  ferry  veil  mit  a  piece  of  charcoal.  I'd 
make  pictures  of  men  vat  vould  make  de  chiltren  unt  olt 
folks  open  d'eir  byes.  Our  scouts  would  understand 
vhich  vun'  meant  Pen  McCullough,  vich  vun  Van  Dorn, 
which  'vuh  Hap  Brice,  unt  so  on.  Udder  marks  vould 
show  vhich  viiy  each  vun  vas  koing  unt  how  many  men 
he  hat  mit  him.  De  reppels  neffer  dropt  on  to  it,  but  dey 
game  so  glose  to  it  'vuuce  or  twice  dat  my  hair  stood  on 
endt.'» 

"That  curly  mop  of  yours^d  have  a  time  standing  on 
end,"  ventured  Shorty.  "I  should  think  it'd  twist  your 
neck  off  dry  in'  to." 

"Veil,  somedings  gif  me  a  qu^r  feeling  apout  de 
throat  vun  day  ven  I  saw  a  reppel  Colonel  sdop  unt  look 
ferry.hard  at  a  long  letter  vhich  I'd  wrote  dis  Vay  on  a 
rock.  .    •  -V  V 

"'Who  done  dat?'  he  asked. 

"'Dis  man  here,'  says  de  olt  voman.  "He  done  it 
vhile  he  vas  gassing  mit  de  olt  man  unt  vooling  mit  de 
chiltren.  Lot  o:'  pesky  nonsense,  marking  up  the  vails 
dat-a-vay.' 

"Tooks  like  very  systematic  nonsense,'  said  de  Colonel 
very  stern  unt  sour.  'There  may  be  something  in  it.  Did 
you  do  this?'  said  he,  turning  to  me. 

•^'Yes,  sir,'  said  L  'I  haf  a  pad  habit  of  marking  vhen 
Tm  dalking.  I  alvays  done  it,  efen  vhen  I  vas  a  child. 
My  mudder  used  to  often  slap  me  for  sboiling  de  vails, 
but  she  gould  iiefer  preak  me  of  it.' 

"''Humph/  said  he,  nod  at  all  sadisfied  mit  my  story, 


272 


SI   KLEGG  AND  SHORTY. 


unt  looking  ac  de  scratches  harder  dan  effer.  'Who  are 
you,  unt  vhat  are  you  doing  here?' 

"I  toldt  hmi  my  story  apout  puying  Megzigan  silfer  tol- 
lars,  unt  showed  him  a  lot  of  tie  tollars  I'd  pought. 

"'Your  story  ain'd  reasonable/  said  he.  'You  hafn't 
done  pizness  enough  to  pay  you  for  all  de  time  you've 
spend  arount  de  army.  I'll  gut  you  unter  guard  till  ^ 
can  look  into  your  case.' 


THE  SPY  IN  CUSTODY. 


"lie  galled  to  de  Serchent  of  de  Quart,  unt  ordered  him 
to  dake  charge  of  me.  De  Serchent  vas  dat  same  tirty 
loafer,  Pob  Smiles,  d^t  I  hat  de  droubles  mit  py  Vil- 
son's  Crick.  He  kicked  me  unt  pounded  me,  unt  put  me 
on  my  horse^  mit  my  hants  tied  behint  me,  unt  my  feet 


LEY!  EOSENBAOI'S  ADVENTUEES. 


tied  iinter  de  horse's  pellv.  I  vas  almost  tead  py  night, 
Then  ve  reached  Headquarters.  Dev  gif  me  somedings 
to  ead;  uiit  I  laid  down  on  de  floor  of  de  cabin,  yishing  I 
yas  Pontius  Pilate,  so  dat  I  gould  grucify  efery  man  in 
de  Southern  Gonfederisy.  Especially  Pob  Smiles.  An 
hour  or  Uyo  later  I  heard  Pob  Smiles  swearing  again,  x^. 

'''■]\Iake  oud  de  names  of  all  de  brison^s  I  haf,'  he  ras 
saying,  ^mit  yhere  dey  pelong  unt  de  cllarges  against 
dem.  I  gan't.  Do  dey  take  me  for  a  counter-jumping 
clerk?  I  didn't  gome  into  de  army  to  be  a  yhite-yaced 
bookkeeper.  I  sbrained  my  thumb  de  udder  tay,  ^iiit  I 
gan't  wride  efen  a  little  bit.  Vhat  am  I  to  do?' 
■  ''Dat  yas  all  nioonshine  apout  his  sbraining  his  thumb. 
He  yas  ignorant  as  a  chackass.  If  he  hat  40  thumbs  he 
gouldn't  wride  efen  his  own  name  so's  anypoddy  gould 
reat  id.  ^ 

^'''l  don't  pelieye  dere's  a  man  in  a  mile  of  here  dat  gan 
make  oud  such  a  list,^  he  yent  on.  'Dey're  all  a  set  of 
hominy-eating  plockheadts.  Berhaps  dat  hook-nosed 
Chew  might.  He's  de  man.  T'll  make  him  do  it,  or 
preak  his  schwindling  headt.'  •    .  ■ ' 

'*He  gome  in,  kicked  me,  unt  made  me  get  up,  unt  den 
dook  me  out  unt  set  me  down  at  a  dable,  yhere  he  hat 
baber,  ben  unt  ink,  unt  ordered  me  to  dake  down  de 
names  off  de  brisoners  as  he  prought  dem  up.  He'd  look 
ofer  my  shoulter  as  I  wrode,  as  if  he  yas  reading  yhat  I 
set  down,  but  I  knowed  dat  he  gouldn'd  make  oud  a  letter. 
I  yas  dempted  to  wride  all  sorts  of  things  apout  hini;  but 
I  didn't,  for  I  yas  in  enough  droubles  alretty.  Vhen  1 
gome  to  my  own  name,  he  said : 

"'Make  de  charge,  a  spy,  a  thief,  unt  a  Dutch  traitor  to 
the  Southern  Gonfederisy.' 

'•'I  yoost  wrode:  '  Lefi    Hosenbaum,  ITemphis,  Tenn. 
Merchant.    No  charge.' 


274 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


"He  scowled  very  wisely  ad  id,  unt  bretended  to  read 
idj  uut  said: 

"'Id's  lucky  for  you  dat  you  wrode  id  yoost  as  I  told 
you.    rd  a'  proke  effery  pone  in  your  poddy  if  you  hadn't. 

"I'd  yoost  got  done  vhen  an  officer  gome  down  from 
Headquarters  for  it.    He  looked  it  ofer  unt  said: 

"Who  mate  dis  oud?" 

"Vhy,  I  mate  id  oud,"  said  Pob  Smiles,  pold  as  prass.^ 
"^But  wdio  wrode  id?'  said  de  officer. 

"'0,  I  sbrained  my  thumb,  so  I  gouldn't  wride  very 
veil,  unt  I  mate  a  Chew  brisoner  gopy  id,'  said  Pob 
Smiles. 

"'Id's  de  pest  wriding  I  haf  seen,'  said  de  officer.  I 
Tant  de  man  vhat  wrode  id  to  go  mit  me  to  Headquarters 
at  vunce.  I  haf  some  gopying  dere  to  pe  done  at  vunce, 
unt  not  vun  of  dem  gorn-grackers  dat  I  haf  up  dere  gan 
wride  anydings  fit  to  read.  Pring  dat  man  cud  here  unt 
^  vill  dake  him  mit  me.' 

"Pob  Smiles  hated  to  led  me  go,  bud  he  gouldn't  help 
himself,  unt  I  vent  mit  de  officer.  I  vas  so  dired  I 
gould  hartly  move  a  sdep,  unt  I  felt  I  ^ould  nod  wride  a 
vora.  But  I  seemed  to  see  a  chance  ad  Headquarters, 
unt  I  datermined  to  make  efery  efford  to  do  somedings. 
Dey  gif  me  a  sdiff  horn  of  vhisky  unt  sed  me  to  vork. 
Dey  vanted  me  to  make  oud  unt  gopy  a  gonsolidated  re- 
bort  off  de  army. 

"I  almost  forgot  I  vas  dired  when  I  found  oud  vat  dey 
vanted,  for  I  saw  a  chance  to  get  somedings  of  kreat 
value.  Dey'd  peen  drying  to  make  up  a  rebort  vrom  all 
sorts  of  scraps  unt  sh'^^ds  of  baper  sent  in  from  de  tiffer- 
ent  Headquarters,  unt  dey  had  sboiled  a  half-dozen  pig 
sheeds  of  baper  after  dey'd  got  dem  bartly  done.  If  I  do 
say  id  myseliuf,  I  gan  wride  bedder  unt  faster  unt  vigure 
g^yi^Jke^  dan  most  any  man  you  efer  saw.    Dose  reppela 


LEY!  ROSENBAUM'S  ADYENTUREg.  275 

thought  dey  hat  got  hold  of  a  vonder— a  lighdning  galgu- 
lator  unt  lighdning  benman  togedder. 

"As  vast  as  I  vould  gopy  yun  baper,  unt  it  vould  prove 
to  be  all  righd,  I  vould  void  it  up  unt  stick  it  into  a  pig 
yaller  envelope.  1  also  voided  up  de  sboiled  reborts,  unt 
stuck  dem  in  de  envelope,  saying  dat  I  vanted  to  ket  rid 
of  dem — put  dem  vhere  seeing  dem  vouldn't  bodder  me. 
I  garefully  slipped  de  envelope  unter  de  edge  of  a  bile  of 
bapers  near  de  edge  of  de  dable.  I  hat  anodder  big  yaller 
envelope  dat  looked  yoost  like  it  lying  in  de  mittle  of  de 
dable^  into  vhich  I  sduck  bapers  dat  didn^t  amount  to 
noddings.  I  vas  very  slick  apout  it,  unt  didn't  led  dem 
see  dat  I  hat  two  envelopes. 

"Id  vas  bast  midnight  vhen  I  got  de  gonsolidated  re* 
bort  made  oud,  unt  de  reppels  vas  tickled  to  death  mit 
id.  Dey'd  nefer  seen  anyding  so  veil  done  pefore.  Dey 
vanted  a  gopy  made  to  keep,  unt  1  said  I'd  make  vun, 
though  I  vas  nearly  dead  for  sleep.  I  really  vasn't,  for 
de  eggscitement  made  me  forget  all  apout  peing  dired, 

*'l  vass  determined,  pevore  I  slept,  to  haf  dat  yellow 
envelope,  mit  all  dose  bapers,  in  Cheneral  Curtis's  hands, 
though  he  vas  40  miles  afay.  How  in  de  vorldt  1  vas  ko- 
ing  to  do  id  I  gould  not  think,  but  I  vas  koing  to  do  id,  if 
I  tied  a  drying.  De  virst  thing  vas  to  ket  dat  envelope 
off  de  dable  into  my  glothes;  de  next,  to  ket  oud  of  dat 
cabin,  afay  vrom  Pob  Smiles  unt  his  guards,  through  de 
reppel  lines,  unt  ofer  de  mountains  to  Cheneral  Curtis '3 
gamp.  Id  vas  a  dark,  vindy  nighd,  unt  dings  vere  lu 
gonfusion  apout  de  gamp — yoost  de  kind  of  a  dime  vhen 
anypody  mighd  kill  a  Chew  pedler,  unt  no  questions 
vould  pe  asked. 

{"I  hat  got  de  last  gopy  vinished,  unt  de  officers  vas  go- 
ing ofer  id.  Dey  hat  deir  heads  togedder,  nod  18  inches 
vrom  me,  agross  de  dable.  I  hat  my  vingers  on  de  en- 
velope, but  I  didn't  dare  slib  id  oud,  though  my  v?>igers 


276 


BI   KLEGG   AND  SHOETY. 


itelied.    I  vas  in  hopes  dat  dey'd  turn  aroundt,  or  do 
somedings  dat'd  gif  me  a  chance. 

"Suttenly  Pob  Smiles  opened  de  door  vide,  nnt  valked  • 
in/mit  a  dispatch,  in  his  hand.  De  vind  svept  in,  plew  de 
gandles  oud,  unt  sent  de  bapers  vlying  apout  de  room. 
Some  vent  into  de  vire.  De  officers  yelled  unt  svore  at 
him,  unt  he  shut  de  door,  but  I  hat  de  envelope  in  my 
preast-bocket. 

"Den,  to  ket  afay.   How  in  the  name  of  Moses  unt  de 
Den  Gommandments  vas  I  to  do  dat? 

"Vun  of  de  officers  said  to  Pob  Smiles:  'Dake  dis 
man  afay  unt  dake  goot  gare  of  him  until  do-morrow. 
Ve'll  vant  him  again.  Gif  him  a  goot  bet,  unt  blenty  to 
ead,  unt  dreat  him  veil.    Ve'll  need  him  do-morrow.' 

"^Gome  on,  you  bork-hating  Chew,'  said  Pob  Smiles 
erabbedly.  "I'll  gif  you  a  mess  of  spare-ribs  unt  gorn- 
dodgers  for  subber.' 

"'You'll  do  noddings  of  de  kind,'  said  de  officer. 
tolt  you  to  dreat  him  veil,  unt  if  you  don't  dreat  him  veil, 
I'll  see  apout  id.    Gif  him  a  ped  in,  dat  house  vhere  de 
orderlies  sday.* 

"Pob  Smiles  crumbled  unt  svore  ad  me,  after  ve  vent 
oud,  but  dere  vas  noddings  to  do  but  to  opey  orders.  He 
gif  me  a  goot  place,|unt  some  coffee  unt  pread,  unt  I  lay 
down,  bretending  to  go  to  sleep.  I  snored  afay  like  a  goot 
feller,  unt  bresently  I  heard  some  vun  gome  in.  I  looked 
a  little  oud  de  gorner  of  my  eye,  unt  see  py  de  light  of  de 
vire  dat  id  vas  Pob  Smiles  sneaking  pack.  He  vatched 
me  for  a  minnit,  unt  den  put  his  hand  on  me. 

"I  vas  sgared  as  I  nefer  vas,  for  i  thought  he  vas  after 
mj  brecious  fsAlex  envelope.  But  I  dought  of  my  bowie 
knife,  vhich  I  alfays  garried  oud  of  sight  in  my  posom, 
unt  resolfed  dat  I  vould  sdick  id  in  his  heart,  if  he  dried 
to  dake  afay  my  bapers.  But  I  nefer  moved.  He  felt 
ofer       undil  he  gome  to  de  bocket  vhere  I  hat  de  sillei 


LEVI  KOSENBAUM'S  ADYENTURESv 


27? 


tollars^  unt  den  slipped  his  vingers  in,  unt  bulled  dem 
oudp  Yun  pj  ynn,  yoost  as  chently  as  if  he  vas  smooth- 
ing the  hair  on  a  cat.  I  led  him  dake  dem  all,  mitout 
moving  a  muscle.  I  vas  glat  to  haf  him  dake  dem.  I 
knowed  dat  he  vas  blaying  boker  somevhere,  unt  hat  xun 
oud  of  gash,  unt  vould  dake  my  money  unt  go  pack  to 
his  game. 

*'As  soon  as  I  heard  his  vootsteps  tisabbear  in  de  dis* 
tance,  I  kot  up  unt  sneaked  down  to  vhere  de  Head- 
quarter horses  were  died.  I  must  get  a  fresh  vuu,  pe- 
kause  my  own  vas  blayed  nearly  oud.  He  vould  nefer  do 
to  garry  me  ofer  de  rough  roads  I  must  rite  pefore  morn- 
ing. But  vhen  I  got  dere  I  saw  a  guart  bacing  up  unt 
down  in  vront  of  dem.  I  hat  not  gounted  on  dis,  unt  for 
a  minnit  my  heart  stood  still.  Dere  vere  no  odder  horses 
anyvheres  arount. 

"I  hesidaded,  looked  up  at  Headquarters,  unt  saw  de 
lighds  sdill  purning  dere  unt  made  up  my  mind  at  vunce 
to  risk  eferything  on  vun  desperate  chance.  I  remem- 
pered  dat  I  hat  but  in  my  envelope  some  piank  sheeds  of 
baper,  mit  ^Headquarters  Army  of  de  Vrontier,'  unt  a 
reppel  vlag  on  dem.  Dere  vas  a  pig  vire  purning  ofer  to 
de  righd,  mit  no  one  near.  I  vent  up  in  de  shadow  of  a 
tree,  vhere  I  gould  see  by  de  virelight,  dook  oud  vun  off 
de  sheeds  of  baper  unt  wrote  on  id  an  order  to  have  a 
horse  saddled  for  me  at  vunce.  Den  I  slipped  paciv  so 
dat  id  vould  look  as  if  I  vas  goming  sdraight  vrom  Head- 
quarters, unt  valked  up  to  de  guart  unt  handed  him  de 
order.  He  gouldn't  read  a  vord,  but  lie  recognized  de 
heading  on  de  baper,  unt  I  tolt  him  de  rest.  He  thought 
dere  vas  noddings  for  him  to  do  but  opey. 

"Vhile  he  vas  getting  de  horse  I  wrote  oud,  by  the  vire, 
a  bass  for  myself  through  de  guards.  1  vas  in  a  hurry, 
you  bet,  unt  id  vas  all  done  mighty  qvick,  unt  I  vas  on 
iat  horses'  pack  und  sdarted.    I  hat  lost  ell  direr-ion. 


BI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


luit  I  knowed  dat  I  hat  to  go  chenerally  to  de  northeast  to 
get  to  Cheneral  Curtis.  But  I  got  gonfused  again,  unt 
found  I  vas  riding  around  unt  around  in  de  gamp  mitout 
ketting  oud  at  all.  I  efen  gome  up  again  near  de  pig 
vire,  yoost  vhere  I  wrote  oud  de  pass. 

"Yoost  den  what  should  I  hear  but  Pob  Smile's  voice. 
He  had  lost  all  his  money — all  my  money — at  boker,  unt 
vas  damning  de  fellers  he  hat  been  blayingmitas  cheats. 
He  vas  nod  in  a  demper  to  meet,  unt  I  knowed  he  vould 
see  me  if  I  vent  py  de  pig  vire,  but  I  vas  desperate,  unt  I 
sduck  de  spurs  into  my  horse  unt  he  shot  ahead.  I 
heard  Pob  Smiles  yell: 

'*'Dere  is  dat  Chew.  Vhere  is  he  koing?  Halt,  dere! 
Sdop  him  V 

"I  knov.  ed  dat  if  I  shtopped  now  I  vould  be  hung  sure. 
De  only  safety  vas  to  go  as  fast  as  I  gould.  I  dashed 
afay,  where,  I  didn't  know.  Direckly  a  guard  halted  me, 
but  I  showed  him  my  bass,  unt  he  led  me  go  on.  Vhile 
he  vas  looking  at  it  I  sdrained  my  ears,  unt  gould  hear 
horses  galloping  my  vay.  I  knowed  it  vas  Pob  Smiles 
after  me.  My  horse  vas  a  good  vun,  unt  I  determined  to 
get  on  de  main  road  unt  go  as  vast  as  I  gould.  I  gould 
see  by  de  gampvires  dat  I  vas  now  ketting  afay  from  de 
af?tij,  unt  I  pegin  to  hope  dat  I  vas  going  north.  I  kept 
my  horse  running. 

Pretty  soon  de  pickets  halted  me,  but  I  didn't  sdop  to 
answer  deM.  I  yoost  bolted  ahead.  De  chances  of  deir 
ghooding  me  vasn't  as  treadful  as  of  Pob  Smiles  catch- 
ing me.  Dey  vired  at  me,  but  I  galloped  right  through 
dem,  unt  through  a  rain  of  pullets  dat  dey  sent  after  me. 
I  velt  petter  then  for  I  vas  gonfident  dat  I  vas  oud  in  de 
open  gountry,  but  I  kept  my  horse  on  de  run.  Id  seemed 
to  me  dat  I  vent  a  hundret  miles. 

"Yoost  as  de  tay  vas  preaking  in  de  east,  I  heard  a 
voice,  mit  a  sdrong  Cherman  agcent  call  oud  de  prush;  ' 


LEVI  ROSENBAIBI'S  ADYENTUEES.  279 
"Halt.   Who  gomes  dere?" 

I  Tas  so  glat  dat  I  almost  vainted,  for  I  knowed  dat  Vd 
reached  Cheneral  Sigel's  bickets.  I  gouldnH  ket  my  lips 
to  answer. 

Dere  game  a  lot  of  shots,  unt  vun  of  dem  sdruck  my 
horse  in  de  head,  unt  he  veil  in  de  road,  throwing  me  ofer 
his  head.  De  pickets  run  oud  unt  bicked  me  up.  De 
Cherman  language  sounded  de  sweetest  I  efer  heard  it. 


EOSEXBAUM  RUNS  INTO  SIGEL'S  PICKETS.. 


*'As  soon  as  I  gould  make  myself  dalk,  I  answered  dem 
m  Cherman,  unt  tolt  dem  who  I  vas.  Den  dey  gouldn't 
do  enough  for  me.  Dey  helped  me  pack  to  vhere  dey 
gould  get  an  ambulance,  in  vhich  dey  sent  me  to  Her.d- 


280 


SI   KLEGG    AND  SHORTY. 


quarters^  for  I  vas  too  veak  to  ride  or  valk  a  sdep.  1 
handed  my  yellow  envelope  to  Cheneral  Curtis,  got  a 
dram  of  vhisky  to  keep  me  up  vhile  I  answered  his 
questions,  unt  den  vent  to  sleep  unt  slept  through  de 
whole  pattle  of  Bea  Eidge. 

"After  de  pattle,  Cheneral  Curtis  vanted  to  know  how 
much  he  ought  to  bay  me,  but  I  tolt  him  dat  all  I  vanted 
vas  to  serfe  de  gountry,  unt  I  vas  alretty  baid  many 
dime^fer,  py  helping  him  vin  a  victory. 

But  I  gongluded  dat  dere  vas  to  much  Pob  Smiles  in 
dat  gountry  for  me,  unt  I  hat  better  leave  for  some  parts 
vhere  I  vas  not  likely  to  meed  him.  So  I  grossed  de  Mis- 
sissippi Riffer,  unt  choined  Chenerl  Rosecrans's  Head- 
quarters. 


OUT  ON  AN  EXPEDITION  WITH  ROSENBAUM. 


281 


CHAPTER  xxvi.  ..  : 

THE  BOYS  GO  OUT  ON  AN  EXPEDITION  WITH  MR.  LEVI  ROSEN- 

BAUM.  ■  ■ 

Mr.  Roseiibaiim's  stories  of  adventure  were  not  such 
as  to  captivate  the  boys  with  the  career  of  a  spy.  But 
the  long  stay  in  camp  was  getting  very  tedious^  and 
they  longed  for  something  to  break  the  monotony  of  camp 
guard  and  of  work  on  the  interminable  fortifications. 
Therefore,  when  Mr.  Rosenbaum  came,  over  one  morning 
with  a  proposition  to  take  them  out  on  an  expedition,  he 
found  them  ready  to  go.  He  went  to  Eegimental  Head- 
quarters, secured  a  detail  for  them,  and  returning  to  the 
Hoosier's  Rest  found  the  boys  lugubriously  pulling  oyer  a 
pile  of  homespun  garments  they  had  picked  up  among 
the  teamsters  and  camp-followers. 

"1  suppose  we've  got  to  we^lt^  em,  Shorty,"  said  Si, 
looking  very  disdainfully  at  a  butternut-colored  coat  and 
vest.  "But  I'd  a  heap  rather  wear  a  mustard  plaster. 
It'd  be  a  heap  comfortabler." 

"I  aint  myself  finicky  about  clothes,"  answered  Shorty. 
"I  aint  no  swell—never  was.  But  somehow  I've  jot  a 
prejudice  in  favor  of  blue  as  a  color,  and  agin  gray  and 
brown.  I  only  like  gray  and  brown  on  a  corpse.  They 
make  purty  grave  clothes.  I  always  like  to  bury  -x  maD 
what  has  butternut  clothes  on." 

"Vhat  are  you  doing  mit  dem  tiriy  rags,  poys?''  aske^ 
Rosenbaum,  in  astonishment,  as  he  surveyed  the  scene. 

"Why,  we've  got  to  vrear  'em,  haven't  we,  if  we  go  out 
with  you?"  asked  Si. 

"You  vear  dem  vhen  you  ko  oud  mit  me— you  tisguise 
yourselfs."  said  Rosenbaum,  with  fine  scorn.  "You'd 


282 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHOETY. 


blay  ter  teffel  in  tisguise.  You  can't  tisguise  your  ton- 
gues. Dat's  de  vorst.  Anypody'd  catch  on  to  dat  Inti- 
anny  lingo  virst  thing.  YouVe  kot  to  sbeak  like  an 
etchucated  man— sbeak  like  I  do— to  keep  beoples  vrom 
vinding  oud  vhere  you're  from.  I  sbeak  gorrect  English 
alfays.    Nopody  gan  dell  vhere  I'm  vrom." 

The  boys  had  hard  work  controlling  their  risibles  over 
Mr.  Rosenbaum's  self-complacency. 

"What  clothes  are  we  to  wear,  then?"  asked  Si,  much 
puzzled. 

"Vear  vhat  you  blese;  vear  de  glothes  you  haf  on,  or 
anything  else.  Dis  is  nod  koing  to  be  a  vull-dress  affair. 
Gentlemen  p-^n  aiitend  in  deir  vorking  glothes  if  dey  vant 
to." 

"I  don't  understand,"  mumbled  Si. 

"Of  gourse  you  don't,"  said  Rosenbaum  gaily.  *'If  you 
did,  you  vould  know  as  much  as  I  do,  unt  I  vouldn't  haf 
no  advantage." 

"All  right,"  said  Shorty.  "We've  decided  to  go  it  blind. 
Go  ahead.  Fix  it  up  to  suit  yourself.  We  are  your 
huckleberries  for  anything  that  you  kin  turn  up.  It  all 
goes  in  our  $13  a  month." 

"0.  K.,"  answered  Rosenbaum.  "Dat's  de  righd  vay. 
Drust  me,  unt  I  vill  pring  you  oud  all  sdraighd.  Now  led 
me  dell  you  somedings.  Vhen  you  gapchured  me,  after 
a  hard  struggle,  as  you  rememper  (and  he  gave  as  much 
of  a  wink  as  his  prominent  Jewish  nose  would  admit),  I 
ras  an  offitier  on  Cheneral  Roddey's  staff.  It  vas,  unt 
sdill  is^  my  pizness  to  keep  up  express  lines  py  vhich  de 
repels  are  subblied  mit  qvinine,  medicines,  gun-gaps, 
ledders,  gifing  invormation,  unt  odder  things.  Unt  I  do 
id." 

The  boys  opened  their  eyes  wide,  and  could  not  re- 
strain an  exclamation  of  surprise. 
."J^Q\Y^  holt  jour  horses;  don'd  ket  eggscited,"  said 


OUT  ON  AN  EXPEDITION  WITH  EOgENBAUlVI.  283 


Rosenbaum  calmly.  "You  don'd  know  as  much  apout 
Tar  as  I  do— not  py  a  hundred  per  cent.  Dese  things  are 
alfays  done  in  efery  var,  unt  Cheneral  Eosecrans  unter- 
stands  de  dricks  of  yar  pedder  as  any  man  in  de  army. 
He  peads  dem  all  yhen  id  gomes  to  gedding  inyormation 
apout  de  enemy.  He  knows  dat  a  dog  dat  yetches  must 
garry^  unt  dat  de  pest  yay  is  to  led  a  sby  take  a  liddle  to 
de  enemy,  unt  pring  a  goot  deal  pack. 

"De  droubles  at  de  pattle  of  Sdone  Bifer  was  dat  de 
sbies  took  more  to  Cheneral  Pragg  dan  dey  prought  to 
Cheneral  Rosecrans.  But  Cheneral  Rosecrans  vas  new 
to  de  vork  den.  Id  won'd  pe  so  in  future.  He  knows  a 
kreat  deal  more  apout  de  reppels  now  dan  dey  know 
apout  him,  danks  to  such  men  as  me."'. 

"I  don't  know  as  we  ought  to  haye  anything  to  do  wilk 
this,  Shorty/'  said  Si  dubiously.  "At  least,  we  ought  to 
inquire  of  the  Colonel  first." 

"Dat's  all  righd — dat's  all  righd,"  said  Rosenbaum 
quickly.  "I'ye  got  de  order  yrom  de  Colonel  which  vill 
sadisfy  you.    Read  id  yourselfs." 

He  handed  the  order  to  Si,  who  looked  carefully  at  the 
printed  heading,  "Headquarters,  200tli  Ind.,  near  Mur- 
freesboro',  Tenn.,"  and  then  read  the  order  aloud  to  Shorty: 

Corporal  Josiah  Klegg  and  one  priyate,  whom  he  may 
select,  will  report  to  Mr.  Leyi  Rosenbaum  for  special 
duty,  and  will  obey  such  orders  and  instructioiis  as  h« 
may  giye,  and  on  return  report  to  these  Headquarters. 
By  ordar  of  the  Colonel.    Philip  Blake,  Adjutant." 

"That  seems  all  straight.  Shorty,"  said  Si,  foldiiig  up 
the  order,  and  putting  it  in  his  pocket. 

"Straight  as  a  string,"  assented  Shorty.  "I'm  ready^ 
anyway.  G-o  ahead,  Mr.  Cheap  Clothing.  I  don't  care 
much  what  it  is,  so  long's  it  aint  shoyelin*  and  dig~in'  i^s. 
the  fortifications.    I'll  go  down  to  Tullahoma  and  pull 


284 


BT   KLEGG    AND  SHOETV 


old  Bragg  out  of  his  tent  rather  than  handle  a  pick  and 
shovel  any  longer." 

"Veil,  as  I  vas  koing  to  dell  you,  I  have  peen  pack  to 
Tullahoma  seferal  dimes  since  you  gaptured  me,  unt  I 
haf  got  de  exbress  lines  between  here  unt  dere  running 
bretty  veil.  I  haf  hat  to  dell  dem  all  sorts  of  sdories  how 
I  got  afay  vrom  de  Yankees.  Luckily,  I  haf  a  bretty  goot 
imagination,  unt  can  vurnish  dem  mit  virst-giass  narra- 
tives. 

"But  dere  is  vun  veller  on  de  staff  dat  I'm  avraid  of. 
His  name  is  Poke  Bolivar,  unt  he  is  a  derrible  veller,  I 
dell  you.  Alfays  vull  of  vight,  unt  desperate  vhen  he 
kets  into  a  vight.  I've  seen  him  pluff  all  dose  odder 
Tellers.  He  is  a  red-hot  Secessionist,  unt  vants  to  kill 
efery  Yankee  in  de  gountry.  Of  late  he  has  seemed 
very  suspicious  of  me,  unt  has  said  lots  of  dings  dat 
sgared  me.  I  vant  to  seddle  him,  either  kill  him  or  take 
him  prisoner  unt  keep  him  avay,  so's  I  gan  veel  at  ease 
vhen  I'm  in  Cheneral  Pragg's  gamp.  I  gan't  do  dat  so 
long  as  I  know  he's- :aroundt,  for  I  veel  dat  his  eyes  are 
on  me,  unt  dat  he's  hunting  some  vay  to  drip  me  up. 

"I'm  koing  oud  now  to  meet  him.  at  a  house  apoud  five 
miles  vrom  de  lines.  I  haf  my  bockets  unt  de  bockets 
on  my  saddles  vull  of  ledders  unt  dings.  Yoost  outside 
de  lines  I  vill  ket  some  more.  He  vill  meet  me  unt  ve 
vill  ko  pack  to  Tullahoma  togedder — dat  is,  if  he  don't 
kill  me  pefore  ve  get  dere.  I  haf  prought  a  gouple  of 
levolfers,  in  addition  to  your  guns,  for  Poke  Bolivar's  a 
d^ihle  veller  to  vight,  unt  I  vant  you  to  make  sure  of 
him.  I'd  dake  more'n  two  men  oud,  but  I'm  avraid  he'd 
get  on  to  so  many." 

"I  guess  we  two  kin  handle  him,"  said  Shorty,  slipping 
his  belt  into  the  holster  of  the  revolver  and  buckling  it 
on.    "Give  us  a  fair  show  at  him,  and  v/e  don't  want  no 


OUT  ON  AN  EXPEDITION  WITH  HOSENBATO. 


285 


help.    I  wouldn^t  mind  having  it  out  with  Mr.  Bolivar  all 

by  myself." 

^'Vell,  my  blan  is  for  you  to  ko  oud  by  yourself s  to  dat 
blace  vhere  you  vere  on  bicket.  Den  dake  de  right-hand 
road  through  the  crick  bottom,  as  if  you  vere  koing  for- 
aging. Apout  two  miles  vrom  de  crick  you  vill  see  a  pig 
hewed-log  house  sdanding  on  de  left  of  de  road.  You  vill 
know  it  py  its  having  brick  outside  chimneys,  unt  de 
doors  bainted  plue  and  yaller.  Dere's  no  odder  house  in 
dat  gountry  like  id. 

"You're  to  keep  oud  of  sight  as  much  as  you  gan. 
Directly  you  vill  see  me  gome  riding  oud,  vollered  py  a 
nigger  riding  anodder  horse.  I  vill  ko  up  to  de  house, 
chump  off,  die  my  horse,  ko  inside,  unt  bresently  gome 
oud  ant  die  a  vhite  cloth  to  a  post  on  de  borch.  Dat  vill 
pe  a  sicknal  to  Poke  Bolivar,  who  vill  pe  vatching  vrom 
de  hill  a  mile  ahead.  You  vill  see  him,  gome  in,  ket  off 
his  horse,  unt  ko  into  de  house, 

"Py  dis  dime  it  vill  pe  dark,  or  nearly  so.  You  slip  up 
as  quietly  as  you  gan,  righd  py  de  house,  hiding  your- 
self s  behint  de  lilacs.  If  de  dogs  run  at  you  payonet 
dem.  You  gan  look  through  de  vinders,  unt  see  me  unt 
Bolivar  sidding  py  de  vire  dalking,  unt  kettlng  ready  to 
sdart  for  Tullahoma  as  soon  as  de  nigger  who  is  gooking 
our  subber  in  de  kitchen  oudside  kets  id  ready  unt  ve 
ead  id.  i.You  gan  vait  dill  you  see  us  sit  down  to  ead  sub- 
ber, unt  den  chump  us.  Petter  vait  until  ve  are  bretty 
near  through  subber,  for  Fll  pe  very  hungry,  unt  vant  all 
I  gan  ket  to  keep  me  up  for  my  long  ride. 

"You  run  in  unt  order  us  to  surr enter.  Fll  chump  up 
unt  plaze  afay  mit  my  revolver,  but  you  needn't  bay 
much  attention  to  me— only  pe  gareful  not  to  shood  me. 
Vhile  you  are  tending  to  Bolivaf  Fll  ket  on  my  horse  unt 
skip  oud.  You  gan  kill  Bolivar,  or  dake  him  pack  to 
gamp  mit  you,  or  do  anything  dat  you  blease,  so  long's 


286  SI   ELEGa   AND  SHORTY. 

you  geep  liim  afay  from  TuUahoma.  You  understandt, 
now?" 

"Perfectly/'  said  Shorty.  "1  think  we  can  manage  it, 
and  it  looks  like  a  pretty  good  arrangement.  You  are  to 
git  away,  and  we're  to  git  Mr.  Bolivar.  Those  two  things 
are  settled.  Any  change  in  the  evening's  program  will 
depend  on  Mr.  Bolivar.  If  he  wants  a  fight  he  kin  git 
whole  gobs  of  it." 

Going  over  the  plan  again,  to  make  sure  that  the  boys 
understood  it,  and  cautioning  them  once  more  as  to  the 
•sanguinary  character  of  Polk  Bolivar,  Mr.  Posenbaum 
started  for  his  horse.  He  had  gone  but  a  little  ways 
when  he  came  back  with  his  face  full  of  concern. 

"I  like  you  poys  bedder  as  I  gan  dell  you,"  he  said, 
taking  their  hands  affectionately,  "unt  I  nefer  vould  for- 
gif  myself  if  you  got  hurt.  Do  you  dink  dat  two  of 
you'll  pe  aple  to  manage  Poke  Bolivar?  If  you're  nod 
6  are  I'll  ket  annoder  man  to  help  you.  I  dink  I  had  ped- 
der,  anyfay." 

"0,  go  along  with  you,"  said  Shorty  scornfully.  "Don't 
worry  about  us  and  Mr.  Bolivar.  I'd  stack  Si  Klegg  up 
against  any  man  that  ever  wore  gray,  in  any  sort  of  a 
scrimmage  he  could  put  up,  and  I'm  a  better  man  than 
Si.  You  just  favor  us  with  a  meeting  with  Mr.  Bolivar, 
and  then  git  out  o'  the  way.  If  it  wasn't  for  dividing  up 
fair  with  my  partner  here  I'd  go  out  by  myself  and  tackle 
Mr.  Bolivar.  You  carry  out  your  share  of  the  plan,  and 
don't  worry  about  us." 

Ilosenbaum's  countenance  brightened,  and  he  hast- 
ened to  mount  and  away.  The  boys  shouldered  their 
guns  ixrA  started  out  for  the  long  walk.  They  followed 
Posenbaum's  directions  carefully,  and  arrived  in  sight 
of  the  house,  which  they  recognized  at  once,  and  got  into 
a  position  from  which  they  could  watch  its  front.  Pres- 
ently they  saw  Rosenbaum  come  riding  along  the  road 


OUT       AX  EXPEDITIO^'  WITH  ROSENBaUM.  287 

and  stop  in  front  of  the  house.  He  tied  his  horse  to  a  scrag- 
gy locust  tree,  went  in  and  then  reappeared  and  fastened 
the  signal  to  a  post  supporting  the  roof  of  the  porch. 


WATCHING  THE  HOUSE. 


They  had  not  long  to  wait  for  the  answer.  Soon  a 
horseman  was  seen  descending  from  the  distant  hilL 
As  he  came  near  he  was  anxiously  scanned,  and  ap- 
peared a  cavalier  so  redoubtable  as  to  fully  justify  E-osen- 
baum's  apprehensions.  He  was  a  tall,  strongly-built 
young  man,  who  sat  on  his  spirited  horse  with  easy  and 
complete  mastery  of  him.  Even  at  that  distance  it 
could  be  seen  that  he  was  heavily  armed. 


238 


gl   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


*Tooks  like  a  genuine  fighter,  and  no  mistake,"  said 
Si,  examining  the  caps  on  his  revolver.  "He'll  be  a  stiff 
one  to  tackle." 

"We  must  be  mighty  careful  not  to  let  him  get  the  drop 
on  us,"  said  Shorty.  "He  looks  quicker'n  lightnin',  and 
iVe,  no  doubt  that  he  kin  shoot  like  Dan'l  Boone.  We 
might  drop  him  from  here  with  our  guns,"  he  added,  sug- 
gestively. 

"No,"  said  Si,  "that  wouldn't  be  fair.  And  it  wouldn't 
be  the  way  Rosenbaum  wants  it  done.  He's  got  his 
reasons  for  the  other  way.  Besides,  I'd  be  a  great  deal 
better  satisfied  in  my  mind,  if  I  could  have  it  out  with 
him,  hand-to-hand.  It'd  sound  much  better  in  the  regi- 
T.eiit." 

"Guess  that's  so,"  assented  Shorty.  "Well,  let's  sneak 
up  io  the  house." 

AVhen  they  got  close  to  the  house  they  saw  that  it  had 
bpen  deserted;  there  were  no  dogs  or  other  domestic  ani- 
mals about,  and  this  allowed  them  to  get  under  the  shade 
of  the  lilacs  without  discovery.  The  only  inmates  were 
Rosc-:baum  and  Bolivar,  who  were  seated  before  a  fire, 
which  Rosenbaum  had  built  in  the  big  fireplace  in  the 
main  room.  The  negro  was  busy  cooking  supper  in  the 
outbuilding  which  served  as  a  kitchen.  The  glass  was 
broken  out  the  window,  and  they  could  hear  the  conver- 
sation between  Rosenbaum  and  Bolivar. 

It  appeared  that  Rosenbaum  had  been  making  a  report 
of  his  recent  doings,  to  which  Bolivar  listened  with  a 
touch  of  disdain  mingled  with  suspicion. 

The  negro  brought  in  the  supper,  and  the  men  ate  it 
sitting  by  the  fire 

"I  declare,"  V-Aivar,  stopping  with  a  piece  of 

bread  and  meat  in  one  hand  and  a  tin-cup  of  coffee  in 
the  other,  "that  for  a  man  who  is  devoted  to  the  South 


OUT  ON  AN  EXPEDITION  WITH  EOSENBAU:^!.  289 


VOu  can  mix  up  ys'hh.  these  Yankees  with  less  danger  to 
yourself  and  to  them  than  anv  man  I  ever  knew.  You 
never  get  hurt,  and  you  never  hurt  any  of  them.  That's 
a  queer  thing  for  a  soldier.  AVar  means  hurting  people, 
and  getting  hurt  yourself.  It  means  taking  every  chance 
to  hurt  some  of  the  enemy.  I  never  miss  any  opportu- 
nity of  killing  a  Yankee,  no  matter  what  I  may  be  doing, 
or  Avhat  risk  it  is  to  me.  I  can't  help  myself.  When- 
ever I  see  a  Yankee  in  range  I  let  him  have  it.  I  never 
go  near  their  lines  without  killing  at  least  one.'' 

Shorty's  thumb  played  a  little  with  his  gunlock,  but  Si 
restrained  him  with  a  look.         '  ' 


LOLIYAR  AND  ROSEXBAUM. 


^Tell.''  said  Rosenbaum,  "I  hates  de  enemy  as  padly 
as  anv  vun  gan,  but  I  alfays  haf  pizness  more  imbortant 
at  de  dime  dan  killing  men.    I  vant  to  get  through  mit 


290 


SJ   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


vhat  I  haf  to  do,  unt  led  odder  men  do  de  killing.  Dere'g 
enough  chentlemen  like  you  for  dat  vork.'* 

"No,  there's  not  enough/'  said  Bolivar  savagely.  "It's 
treasonable  for  you  to  say  so.  Our  enemies  outnumber 
us  everywhere.  It  is  the  duty  of  every  true  Southern 
man  to  kill  them  off  at  every  chance,  like  he  would  rat- 
tlesnakes and  wolves.  You  are  either  not  true  to  the 
South,  or  you  haint  the  right  kind  of  grit.  Why,  you 
have  told  me  yovirself  that  you  let  two  Yankees  capture 
you,  without  firing  a  shot.  Think  of  it;  a  Confederate 
officer  captured  by  two  Yankee  privates,  without  firing  a 
shot.'' 

"Dey  hat  de  dead  drop  on  me,"  murmured  Eosenbaum. 
"If  I  hat  moved  dey'd  killed  me  sure." 

"Dead  drop  on  you!"  repeated  Bolivar  scornfully.  "Two 
men  with  muskets  have  the  dead  drop  on  you!  And  you 
had  a  carbine  and  revolver.  Why,  I  have  ridden  into  a 
nest  of  10  or  15  Yankees,  who  had  me  covered  with  their 
guns.  I  killed  three  of  them,  wounded  three  others,  and 
run  the  rest  away  with  my  empty  revolver.  If  I'd  had 
another  revolver,  not  one  w^ould've  got  away  alive.  I  al- 
ways carry  tAvo  revolvers  now." 

"I  think  our  guns'll  be  in  the  way  in  that  room,"  said 
Shorty,  setting  his  down.  His  face  bore  a  look  of  stern 
determination,  "They're  too  long.  I'm  itching  to  have 
it  out  with  that  feller  hand-to-hand.  We'll  rash  in. 
You  pretend  to  be  goin'  for  Eosenbaum  and  leave  me  to 
have  it  out  with  Mr.  Bolivar.  Don't  you  mix  in  at  all. 
If  I  don't  settle  him  he  ought  to  be  allowed  to  go." 

"No,"  said  Si  decisively.  "I'm  your  superior  officer, 
and  it's  my  privilege  to  have  the  first  shy  at  him.  I'll 
'tend  to  him.  I  want  a  chance  single-handed  at  a  man 
that  talks  that  way.    You  take  care  of  Eosenbaum." 

"W^e  mustn't  dispute,"  said  Shorty,  stooping  down  and 
picking  up  a  couple  of  straws,    ^'Here,  pulL    The  feller 


OUT  ON  AX  EXPEDITION  WITH  ROSENBAUM.  291 

that  gits  the  longest  Hends  to  Bolivar;  the  other  to 
Eosenbaiim." 

Si  drew  and  left  the  longer  straw  in  Shorty's  hand. 
They  drew  their  revolvers  and  rushed  for  the  room,  Shorty 
leading.  Eosenbaum  and  Bolivar  sprang  up  in  alarm  at 
the  sound  of  their  feet  on  the  steps,  and  drew  their  re- 
volvers. 


THE  SUEPEISE. 


"Surrender,  you  infernal  rebels/'  shouted  the  boys,  as 
they  bolted  in  through  the  door. 

With  the  quickness  of  a  cat,  Eosenbaum  had  sidled 
near  the  door  through  which  they  had  come.  Suddenly 


292 


81   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


he  fired  two  shots  into  the  ceiling,  and  sprang  through 
the  door  so  quickly  that  Si  had  merely  the  chance  to  fire 
a  carefully-aimed  shot  through  the  top  of  his  hat.  Si 
jumped  toward  the  door  again,  and  fired  a  shot  in  the  air, 
for  still  further  make-believe.  He  would  w^aste  no  more, 
but  reserve  the  other  four  for  Bolivar,  if  he  should  need 
them. 

Shorty  confronted  Bolivar  with  fierce  eyes  and  leveled 
revolver,  eagerly  watching  every  movement  and  expres- 
sion. The  rebel  was  holding  his  pistol  pointed  upward, 
and  his  eyes  looked  savage.  As  his  eyes  met  Shorty's 
the  latter  was  amazed  to  see  him  close  the  left  with  a 
most  emphatic  wink.  Seeing  this  was  recognized,  the 
rebel  fired  two  shots  into  the  ceiling,  and  motioned  with 
his  left  hand  to  Si  to  continue  firing.  Without  quite  un- 
derstanding, Si  fired  again.  The  rebel  gave  a  terrific  yell 
and  fired  a  couple  of  shots  out  the  window. 

"Do  the  same,"  he  said  to  Shorty,  who  complied,  as  Si 
had  done,  in  half-comprehension.  The  rebel  handed  his 
revolver  to  Shorty,  stepped  to  the  window  and  listened. 

There  came  the  sounds  of  two  horses  galloping  away 
on  the  hard,  rocky  road. 

"He's  gone,  and  taken  the  nigger  with  him,"  he  said 
contentedly,  turning  from  the  window,  and  giving  an- 
other fierce  yell.  "Better  fire  the  other  two  shots  out  of 
that  pistol,  to  hurry  him  along." 

Shorty  fired  the  remaining  shots  out  of  the  rebel's  re^ 
volver. 

"What  regiment  do  you  belong  to,  boys?"  asked  Boli- 
var calmly. 

"The  200th  Ind.,"  answered  Si,  without  being  able  to 
control  his  surprise. 

"A  very  good  regiment,"  said  the  r^Jjel.  "What's  your 
company?" 

fCo.  Q,"  answered  SL 


OUT  OX  AX  EXPEDITIOX  \V1TH  EOSEXBAOI 


293 


"'\Tlio's  your  Colonel?'' 
'•'Col.  Duckworth." 
/Triio's  your  Captain?" 
"Capt.  ITcGillicudy." 

'•'AH  right/''  said  the  rebel,  Vvuth  an  air  of  satisfaction. 
"I  asked  you  those  cjuestions  to  make  sure  you  were 
genuine  Yankees.  One  can't  be  too  careful  in  my  busi- 
ness. I'm  in  the  United  States  Secret  Service,  and  hare 
to  be  constantly  on  the  watch  to  keep  it  from  being  played 
on  me  by  men  pretending  to  be  Yankees  when  they  are 
rebels,  and  rebels  when  they  are  Yankees.  I  always 
make  it  the  first  point  to  ask  them  the  names  of  theii 
officers.  I  know  almost  all  the  officers  in  command  on 
both  sides."  ^ ^'x  ' 

"You  in  the  Secret  Service?"  exploded  the  boys.  They 
were  on  the  point  of  adding  ''too/"  but  something  whisper- 
ed to  them  not  to  betray  Eosenbaum. 

''Yes/''  answered  Bolivar.  "I've  just  come  from  Tulla- 
homa^  vrhere  I've  been  around  Bragg's  Headquarters. 
I  wanted  to  get  inside  our  lines^  but  I  vras  puzzled  how 
to  do  it.  That  Jew  you've  just  run  of!  bothered  me.  I 
wish  to  the  Lord  you'd  killed  him.  I'm  more  afraid  of 
him  than  any  other  man  in  Bragg's  army.  He's  smart 
as  a  briar,  always  nosing  around  where  you  don't  want 
him,  and  anxious  to  do  something  to  commend  him  to 
Headquarters,  Jew  like.  I've  thought  he  suspected  me, 
for  he'd  been  paying  special  attention  to  me  for  some 
weeks.  Two  or  three  times  I've  been  on  the  point  of  toll- 
ing him  out  into  the  woods  somewhere  and  killing  him, 
and  so  get  rid  of  him.  It's  all  right  now.  He'll  go  back 
to  TuUalioma  with  a  fearful  story  of  the  fight  I  made 
against  you,  and  that  I  am  probably  killed.  I'll  turn  up 
there  in  a  week  or  two  with  my  own  story,  and  I'll  give 
Tlim  £ts  for  having  skipped  out  and  left  me  to  fight  you 


t 


294  SI  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 

two  alone.  Say,  it's  a  good  ways  to  camp.  Let's  start 
at  once,  for  I  want  to  get  to  Headquarters  as  soon  as 
possible." 

"You've  got  another  revolver  there/'  said  Si,  who  had 
prudently  reloaded  his  own  weapon. 

"That's  so,"  said  Bolivar,  pulling  it  out.  "You  can  take 
and  carry  it  or  I'll  take  the  cylinder  out,  if  you  are  not 
convinced  about  me." 

"You'd  better  let  me  carry  it,"  said  Shorty,  shoving 
the  revolver  in  his  own  belt.  "These  are  queer  times, 
and  one  can't  be  too  careful  with  rebels  who  claim  to  be 
Yankees,  and  Yankees  who  claim  to  be  rebels." 

They  trudged  back  to  camp,  taking  turns  riding  the 
horse.  When  the  rebel  rode,  however,  one  of  the  boys 
walked  alongside  with  the  bridle  in  his  hand.  All 
doubts  as  to  Bolivar's  story  were  dispelled  by  his  in- 
stant recognition  by  the  Provost-Marshal,  who  happen- 
ed to  be  at  the  picket-post  when  they  reached  camp. 

"The  longer  I  live,"  remarked  Shorty,  as  they  made 
their  way  along  to  the  Hoosier's  Rest,  "and  I  seem  to  live 
a  little  longer  every  day,  the  less  I  seem  to  understand 
about  this  ww." 

Shorty  spoke  as  if  he  had  had  an  extensive  acquaint- 
ance with  wars. 

||"The  only  thing  that  I've  come  to  be  certain  about," 
assented  Si,  "is  that  you  sometimes  most  always  can't 
generally  tell." 

I  And  they  proceeded  to  g^t  themselves  some  supper, 
accompanying  the  work  with  denunciations  of  the  Com- 
missary for  the  kind  of  rations  he  was  drawing  for  the 
regiment,  and  of  the  Orderly-Sergeant  for  his  letting  the 
other  Orderlies  eucher  him  out  of  the  company's  fair 
share.  ' 


SI  EECEIYES  A  LETTER  FROM  HIS  FATHER.  295 


CHAPTER  XXVII.  •  - 

EECEWES  A  LETTER  FROM  HIS  FATHER  AND  THE  FAMILY. 
TROUBLES  IN  GETTING  HOME  WITH  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN. 
MATTERS  ON  THE  OLD  FARM. 

'  One  morning  tlie  Orderly-Sergeant  handed  Si  the  fol- 
lowing letter: 

Deer  Son:  I  got  hoam  safely  a  vreke  ago,  thanks  2  all- 
protecting  Providens ;  likewize  2  about  175  pound  of  tuff 
&  helthy  Josiah  Klegg.  Providens  helpt  rite  along,  but 
it  tuk  50-year-old  Injianny  hickory  &  v/hit-leather  2"  pull 
through  sum  ov  the  tite  plasis. 

Abraham  Lincoln  is  as  strong  as  an  ox,  but  I  never 
thought  that  anything  that  diddent  wear  horns  or  chew 
the  cud  could  be  so  measly  dumb.  He  kin  eat  as  much 
as  Buck,  our  off-steer,  &  I  declare  I  don't  believe  he 
knows  any  more.  ■  - 

We  had  only  bin  on  the  train  long  enuff  for  Abe  to 
finish  up  the  whole  of  the  3  days  rations  you  provided  us 
with  2  last  us  home,  when  I  notist  that  Blowhard  Bill- 
ings was  on  board.  He  was  still  dressed  in  full  uniform, 
&  playin  off  officer  yit,  but  I  happened  2  recolleck  that 
he  was  no  officer  no  more,  &  it  wuz  lucky  that  I  done  so. 
He  wuz  lookin  at  me  &  Abe  hard  with  them  mean,  cat- 
fish ize  ov  hizn. 

Jest  as  a  matter  ov  precaushon,  I  made  Abe  change 
seats  with  me  &  taik  the  inside.  Billings  caim  up. 
You  know^  what  I  thought  ov  him  ov  old,  &  there's"  never 
bin  any  love  lost  betwixt  us  sence  I  stopped  him  cheatin 
poor  Eli  Mitchell  outen  his  plow-team.  I  told  him  then 
that  the  coppers  on  a  dead  nigger's  eyes  wuzzeAt  saif 
when  he  w^uz  around,  &  I  ^'oulddent  trust  him  ez  fur  ez  I 


29G 


SI   KLEGG    AND  SHORTY. 


could  sling  a  bull  by  the  tale.  He  got  mad  at  this  & 
never  got  over  it.  I  never  encouraged  him  to.  I  would- 
dent  feel  satisfied  with  myself  if  he  wuzzent  mad  at  me. 
I  coulddent  change  my  opinion  even  when  he  tried  to 
steal  into  respectability  by  goin  into  the  army.  I  knowed 
he'd  do  anything  but  fite,  &  woulddent've  bin  supprized 
any  day  by  hearing  that  him  and  all  the  mules  in  camp 
had  disappeared  together. 

Presently  Billings  he  cum  up  very  corjil  like  &  says: 

"Howdy J  Deacon.    I  hope  you  air  very  well." 

I  told  him  I  wuz  tollable  peart,  and  he  says : 

"I  see  a  man  in  the  third  car  forward  that  wuz  in- 
quiring for  you,  and  wanted  to  see  you  pow^erful  bad." 

"That  so?"  says  I,  unconcernedlike. 
m-  ■        "Yes,"  says  he.    "He  wuz  awful  anxious  to  see  you, 
and  I  said  I'd  send  you  to  him  if  I  cum  acrost  yovi." 

Somehow,  I  dropped  onto  it  in  a  minnit  that  he  wuz 
schemin'  to  git  me  aw^ay  from  Abraham  Lincoln. 

"Well,"  says  I,  "it's  about  ez  fur  for  me  forward  to  him 
as  it  is  for  him  back  here  to  me.  I  don't  know  as  I  want 
to  see  him  at  all.  If  he  wants  to  see  me  so  bad  let  him 
cum  back  here." 

"I  think  I'd  go  forward  and  see  him,"  said  Billings, 
sort  ov  impatient-like.  "You'll  have  no  trouble  finding 
him.  He's  in  the  third  car  from  here,  up  at  the  front 
end,  right-hand  side,  next  to  the  water-cooler.  He  in- 
quired most  partickerlerly  for  you." 

"Probably  wants  2  borry  money,"  says  I,  without  stir- 
ring '^Men  that  w^ant  particularly  2  see  you  always  do. 
Well,  I  haint  got  none  2  lend — haint  got  no  more'n'll  taik 
mehoa]}!." 

"You'd  better  go  forward  &  see  him,"  he  said  very  bossy 
like,  as  if  he  Avas  orderin  me. 

"I'd  better  stay  right  here,  &  I'm  a-goin'  to  stay,"  says 
I,  so  decided  ik^i  Billins's  see  that  it  was  no  use. 


SI  RECEIVES   A  LETTER  FROM  HIS  FATHER.  297 
His  patience  gave  clean  away. 

''Look  here,  Klegg,"  said  he,  mad  as  a  hornet^  ''I'm 
after  that  ere  nigger  you're  trying  to  steal  away  into  In- 
jianny,  and  by  the  holy  poker  I'm  goin'  to  have  him! 
Come  along  here,  you  black  ape."  and  ho  laid  his  hand 
on  Abe  Lincoln's  collar.  Abe  showed  the  white  or  his 
izes  as  big  as  buckeyes,  put  his  arm  arotmd  the  piece 
betwixt  the  winders,  and  held  on  for  deer  life.  I  see  by 
the  grip  he  tuk  that  the  only  way  2  git  him  wuz  2  tear  out 
the  side  of  the  car,  and  I  thought  I'd  let  them  tussle  it 
out  for  a  minnit  or  2. 

The  others  in  the  car,  who  thought  it  grate  fun  to  see 
a  Lieutenant-Kiirnel  wrastlin"  with  a  nigeer,  laffed  and 
yelled: 

"  "Go  it,  nigger," 
"Go  it,  Kurnel,"      ■       -  ' 
''Grab  a  root," 

"He  bet  on  the  nigger  if  the  car  is  stotit  enuf,"  and 
sich.  Jest  then  Grotmdhog  cum  runnin'  up  to  help 
Billings,  and  reached  over  and  ketched  Abe,  but  I  hit 
him  a  good  biff  with  the  musket  that  changed  his  mind. 
Billings  turned  on  me^  and  called  out  to  the  others : 

"Men,  I  order  you  to  arrest  this  man  and  tie  him  up.'* 

Sum  ov  them  seemed  a-mind  to  obey,  but  I  sung  out; 

"Feller-citizens,  he  ain't  no  officer — no  more'n  I  am. 
He  ain't  got  no  right  to  wear  shoulder-straps,  and  he 
toows  it  as  well  as  I  do." 

At  this  they  all  turjied  agin  him  &  begun  yellin  at  him 
2  put  his  head  in  a  bag.  He  turned  2  me  savage  as  a 
meat-ax,  but  I  ketched  him  by  the  throat,  &  bent  him 
back  over  the  seat.  The  Provo-Guard  cum  up,  &  I  ex- 
plained it  2  them,  &  showed  my  passes  for  me  &  Abe. 
So  they  made  us  all  sit  down  &  keep  quiet. 

Bineby  we  got  2  Xashville.  Abe  Lincoln  wuz  hungry, 
&  I  stopped  2  git  him  something  2  eat.    I^Iy  gracious,  the 


298 


SI   KLEGG    AND  SHORTY.' 


lot  ov  ham  &  ^igs  at  50  cents  a  plate  &  sandwiclies  at  25 
cents  a  piece  that  contraband  kin  eat.  He  never  seemed 
2  git  full.  lie  looked  longingly  at  the  pies,  but  I  let  him 
look.  I  wazzent  runnin  no  Astor  House  in  connexion 
with  the  Freedmen's  buro. 

We  walked  through  the  city,  crost  on  the  ferry,  and 
wuz  jest  gittin  in  the  cars  which  wuz  about  ready  2 
start;  when  up  comes  Billings  agin,  with  2  or  3  other 
men  in  citizen's  cloze.  One  ov  these  claps  his  hand  on 
my  shoulder  &  says : 

"I'm  a  Constable,  &  I  arrest  you  ni  the  name  ov  the 
State  ov  Tennessee  for  abductin  a  slave.  Make  no 
trubble,  but  come  along  with  me." 

I  jest  shook  him  off,  &  dumb  onto  the  platform,  puUin 
Abe  after  me.  The  Constable  &  his  men  follered  us,  but 
I  got  Abe  Lincoln  inside  the  door,  shet  it,  &  made  him  put 
his  shoulders  agin  it.  The  Constable  &  his  2  assistants 
wuz  buttin  away  at  it,  &  me  grinnin  at  them  when  the 
train  pulled  out,  &  they  had  2  jump  off.  I  begin  2  think 
there  wuz  something  good  in  Abe  Lincoln  after  all^  & 
when  we  stopped  at  an  eatin-plais,  about  half-way  2 
Louisville,  &  Abe  looked  at  the  grub  as  if  he  haddent  had 
a  mouthful  sence  the  war  begun,  I  busted  a  $2-bill  all  2 
pieces  gittin'  him  a  little  supper.  If  I  wuz  goin  into  the 
bizniss  ov  freein  slaves  I'd  want  2  have  a  mule  train 
haulin  grub  follering  me  at  every  step. 

Abe  wuz  awful  hungry  agin  when  we  reached  Louis- 
ville, but  I  found  a  place  where  a  dollar  would  buy  him 
enough  pork  &  beans  2  probably  last  him  over  the  river. 

But  I  begun  2  be  afeard  that  sum  nosin  pryin  Mike 
Medler  might  make  trubble  in  gitting  Abe  safely  acrost 
the  Ohio.  I  tuk  him  2  a  house,  &  laid  it  down  strong  2 
him  that  he  must  stay  inside  all  day,  and  2  make  sure  I 
bargained  with  the  woman  2  keep  him  eating  as  much  as 
she  could.   It  ruined  a  |5  bill,  &  even  then  Abe  looked  a» 


TROL"BLES  IX  GETTING  H0M:E. 


299 


if  he  could  hold  some  more.  I've  always  made  it  a  pint 
2  lend  2  the  Lord  for  the  benefit  ov  the  heathen  as  much 
as  my  means  would  allow,  but  I  be^un  2  think  that  my 
missionary  contribushons  this  year  would  beat  what  I 
was  layin  out  on  my  fambly. 

After  it  got  dark,  me  &  Abe  meandered  down  through 
the  streets  2  the  ferry.  There  wuzzent  many  people  out 
except  soljers.  &  I've  got  2  feel  purty  much  at  home  with 
them.  They  seem  more  likely  2  think  lawe  nearly  my 
way  than  folks  in  every-day  clothes. 

There  wuz  quite  a  passel  ov  soljers  on  the  wharf-boat 
waitin'  for  the  ferry  when  we  got  there.  They  saw  at 
wuns  that  I  had  probably  bin  down  2  the  front  2  see  my 
son.  (k  so  sum  ov  them  axed  me  2  what  rigiment  he  be- 
longed. When  I  told  them  the  200th  Injianny  Volunteer 
Infantry  they  all  made  friends  with  me  at  wunst,  for  they 
said  they  knowed  it  wuz  a  good  rijiment. 

Bineby  a  big,  important-lookin'  man,  with  a  club  with 
a  silver  head  for  a  cane,  cum  elbowin  through  the  crowd 
&  scowling  at  everybody  as  if  he  owned  the  wharf-boat 
&  all  on  it.  He  stopped  in  frunt  ov  Abraham  Lincoln  & 
says  very  sharp  &  cross: 

''Boy,  where  did  you  come  from?" 

Abe  diddent  say  nothin'.  His  ize  got  all  white,  he 
grinned  sort  ov  scared  like,  showed  his  white  teeth,  & 
looked  sickly  over  at  me.    I  si^oke  up  &  says : 

''1  brung  him  along  with  me  from  Murfreesboro." 

"So  I  sposed/''  said  he.  "He's  a  slave  you're  tryin  2 
steal  from  his  master.  You  can't  do  it.  I'll  jest  take 
charge  ov  him  myself.  That's  my  dooty  here/'  &  he 
ketched  hold  ov  Abraham  Lincoln's  collar.  Abe,  in 
his  scare,  put  out  his  arms  to  ketch  hold  ov  some- 
thing, &  throwed  them  around  the  big  important  man,  & 
lifted  him  clean  offen  his  feet.  I  never  before  realized 
how  strong  Abe  wuz.   The  soljers  gethered  around,  purty 


300 


SI   KLEGG    AND  SHOETY. 


mad^  &  then  laffiii  &  yellin  when  they  see  the  man  in 
Abe's  arms.    Suddenly  sum  one  hollered: 

"Throw  him  overboard;  throw  him  in  the  river." 

Abe  v/uz  wuss  scared  than  ever  when  he  found  he  had 
the  man  in  his  arms.  He  wuz  af eared  2  hold  on  &  still 
more  afeared  2  let  go.  He  heared  them  hollerin,  & 
thought  he  had  2  do  jest  as  they  said,  &  begun  edgin  to- 
ward the  river.  ^ 

The  man  got  more  scared  than  Abe.  He  began  kickin 
&  wrigglin  &  hoUerin : 

^'Don't  let  him  do  it.    Help  me.    I  can't  swim  a  lick." 

At  this  the  men  hollered  worsen  ever: 

"Throw  him  in  the  river!  Duck  him!  Baptize  him! 
Drown  him!" 

Ime  a  Baptist,  but  I  don't  believe  in  immersion  onless 
the  convert  has  bin  prepared  for  it,  &  is  willin,  which 
neither  this  man  wuz.  I  stepped  forw^ard  2  make  Abe  let 
him  down,  but  before  I  could  do  anything  Abe  had  got  2 
the  edge  of  the  wharf-boat  &  let  go,  &  plunk  w^ent  the 
man  into  about  10  foot  ov  water.  Abe,  scared  now  nearly 
2  death,  stood  .  there  with  his  ize  biggern  sassers  and 
whitern  goose-eggs. 

In  a  minnit  the  man  cum  up,  sputterin  &  hollerin.  A 
big  Sergeant,  with  his  left  arm  in  a  sling,  reached  over  & 
ketched  him  "bv  the  collar  &  held  his  head  above  water. 

"If  I  pull  you  out  will  you  promis  2  go  out  ov  the  nigger- 
ketchin  bizniss  forever?"  axed  the  Sergeant. 

*Tull  me  out  &  then  I'll  talk  2  j^ou,"  says  the  man, 
grabbin  for  the  slippery  sides  ov  the  wharf-boat. 

"No,  I  won't,"  says  the  Sergeant,  sousin  him  under 
water  agiji. 

"Yes,  yes,  I'll  promise,"  says  the  man,  when  he  como 
up  agin. 

"Will  you  swear  it?"  axed  the  Sergeant. 

"Yes,  I'll  swear  it  before  a  Justice     Ui^  Peace." 


TROUBLES   IN   GETTING  HOME. 


801 


"Will  you  swear  2  support  the  Constitution  oy  the 
United  States  agin  all  enemies  &  opposers  whatsumever, 
&  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  every  time?"  axed  the  Ser- 
geant. 

"Fll  take  the  oath  ov  allegiance,"  says  the  man.  sput- 
terin  the  water  out  ov  his  mouth/'  but  I'll  never  vote  for 
that  Abolition  ape  as  long  as  I  live." 

"Then  down  you  go/"  says  the  Sergeant,  sousin  him 
agin. 

"Yes,  yes,  Fll  vote  for  Abe  Lincoln,  &  anybody  else,  if 
you'll  only  pull  me  out,"  said  the  man,  in  a  tired  tone  of 
voice,  when  he  cum  up  agin.  I  begin  2  see  that  immer- 
sion had  a  great  deal  ov  good  in  it,  even  if  a  man  isn't 
prepared  &  willin. 

"Will  you  swear  2  always  love  a  nigger  as  a  man  &  a 
brother,  until  death  do  you  part,  &  aid  &  comfort  all  them 
who  are  tryin  2  git  away  from  slavery?"  axed  the  Sergeant. 

"Dammed  if  I  will,"  says  the  man.  "No  nigger  kin 
ever  be  a  brother  2  me.    I'll  die  first." 

"Then  you'll  die  right  off,"  says  the  Sergeant,  sendin 
him  dow^n  as  far  as  his  long  arm  would  reach  &  holding 
him  there  until  I  wuz  scared  for  fear  he  wuz  really  goin 
2  drown  the  man.  When  he  brung  him  up  the  man 
whimpered : 

"Yes,  only  pull  me  out — save  my  life — &  I'll  do  any- 
thing you  want." 

By  this  time  the  ferry-boat  had  cum  up.  We  got 
aboard  &  crost  over  2  Injianny,  &  I  felt  so  glad  at  bein 
on  my  nativ  soil  wuns  more  that  I  took  Abe  up  2  the 
eatin  stand,  &  blowed  in  a  dollar  filin  up  the  vacant 
plaisis  in  his  hide. 

When  we  tried  2  git  on  the  train  there  cum  another 
trubble:  The  conductor  woulddent  let  him  ride  in  the 
car  with  white  folks, — not  even  in  the  smokin-car.  He 
made  him  go  into  the  baggage-car.    Abe  wuz  so  scared 


302 


SI  KLEGG  AND  SHORTY. 


about  leavin  me  for  a  minnit  in  that  strange  country 
that  I  tried  2  go  into  the  baggage-car  with  him,  but  the 
conductor  woulddent  let  me.  He  said  it  wuz  aain  the 
rules  for  passengers  to  ride  in  the  baggage-cars,  but  Abe 
eoxiW  go  in  there,  same  as  dogs,  prize  poultry,  &  house- 
hold pets.  I  tried  2  joke  with  him,  tellin  him  that  in 
sum  plaisis  I  wuz  considered  a  household  pet,  but  he 
said  Ide  have  2  git  another  m.ug  on  me  before  he  could 
believe  it. 

One  of  Zeke  Biltner's  hogs  ditched  the  train  jest  before 
we  got  home,  &  turned  the  baggage-car  over.  Sum  crates 
ov  eggs  wuz  smashed  over  Abraham  Lincoln,  &  he  wuz  a 
sight  to  behold.  He  wuz  awfully  scared  though  &  beg- 
ged me  2  let  him  go  the  rest  ov  the  way  on  foot.  IJe  said 
he  wuz  a  thousand  years  older  than  when  he  left  his  ole 
massa,  &  I  could  understand  w^hat  he  meant. 

I  found  your  mother  &  the  girls  bright  &  chipper  &  jest 
tickled  2  death  to  see  me  safe  back  They  axed  me^  so 
many  questions  about  you  &  Shorty  that  my  head  buz- 
zed like  a  bee-hive.  It  is  hard  2  git  aw^ay  from  them  2 
tend  2  my  Spring  work,  but  Ive  made  an  arrangement  2 
giv  em  an  hour  mornin  &  evenin  2  answerin  questions. 
I  think  this  wiii  keep  me  purty  busy  until  the  snow  llise 
agin 

Wheat  is  lookin  suprisinly  well,  though  I  found  sum 
bare  plasis  in  the  north  field.  I  think  we'll  have  a  fair 
crop  ov  apples  &  peaches.  Your  colt  is  growin  up  the 
purtiest  thin^  that  ever  went  on  four  legs  &  jumped  an 
eight-rail  fence.  My  hogs  wintered  in  good  shape,  &  pork 
is  risin.  They  have  the  measles  over  on  the  Crick,  & 
schooPs  broke  up.  Bill  Scripp's  out  agin  for  Sheriff,  &  I 
spose  lie  have  2  turn  2  agin  &  beat  him.  Singler,  that 
he'll  never  know  when  he's  got  enuff. 
*  If  anything,  Abraham  Lincoln's  appetite  has  bin  im- 
proved     Wabash  air.   I  wuzzent  goin  2  have  the  wim- 


MATTEES  the  old-  FAEZiL 


303 


men  folks  wear  tlieirselTes  out  cookin  for  Him.  So  I 
fixed  li^j  a  }:Jace  for  liini"  in  ilie  old  lou  hcaise.  dz  tcok  him 
over  some  sides  ov  meat,  a  few  bushel  or  jjertaters.  a  jug 
OT  sorghum  molasses,  every  time  mother  bakes  she 
sends  over  some  loaves  ov  bread.  I  jest  turned  him  loose 
there.    He  seems  '2  be  very  happy.  &  we  hear  him  singin 

yellin  most  all  the  time  when  he's  by  hisself.  He's  a 
good  worker  v-hen  I  stand  right  over  him.  A:  he'll  lift  & 
dig  as  patient  as  an  ox.  But  he  haint  no  more  sense 
about  eoin  ahead  by  his  self  than  a  steer  has.  &  the 
moment  my  back's  turned  he  stops  work.  Ime  afeared 
I've  got  a  job  on  my  hands  makin  a  first-cdass  farmer  out 
ov  him.  But  if  that's  my  share  ov  the  work  that  Provi- 
dens  has  chalked  otit  for  me.  there's  nothin  left  for  me 
but  -  go  ahead     do  it  in  fear  &  tremblin. 

Xo  more  from  your  affeckshionate  father  .       ■  ' 

P.  S.    Give  my  best  respects  2  Shorty 


304 


SI   ELEGG   AND  SHOKTY. 


CHAPTER  XXYIII. 

<'PRIDE  GOETH    BEFORE  A  FALL,  AND  A  HAUGHTY  SPIRIT 
BEFORE  DESTRUCTION." 

Si  and  Shorty  got  the  common  feeling  of  men  of  some 
months'  servicOj  that  thev  had  fully  mastered  the  art  of 
war,  and  that  there  was  little,  if  anything,  left  for  them  to 
learn.  It  did  not  take  some  men  even  so  long  as  months 
to  acquire  this  pleasant  idea  of  themselves.  Some  en- 
tered the  army  feeling  quite  capable  of  giving  advice  to 
the  oldest  General  in  it,  and  they  were  not  slow  about 
offering  their  opinions. 

Si  and  Shorty  had  had  successes  enough  since  their 
enlistment  to  develop  a  self-confidence  which  might  be 
pardoned  if  it  expanded  into  self-sufficiency  and  vanity. 

The  200th  Ind.  had  been  sent  out  on  a  reconnoissance 
toward  Shelby ville.  No  sign  of  relels  in  force  developed 
in  any  dhection,  and  Si  and  Shorty  got  permission  to  go 
off  on  a  little  scout  of  their  own. 

"No  use  o'  huntin'  rebels  with  a  brass  band,"  said  Si, 
who,  since  his  association  with  Mr.  Eosenbaum,  had 
gotten  some  idea  that  stealth  and  cunning  were  efficient 
war  powers.  "We  kin  jest  slip  around  out  here  some- 
where, and  if  there  is  any  rebels  find  'em,  and  git  more 
information  than  the  whole  regiment  kin." 

"I'm  not  so  thirsty  for  information  and  rebels  as  I  am 
for  some  fresh  buttermilk,"  said  Shorty.  "Somehow, 
I've  been  hankering  for  buttermilk  and  cornpone  for 
days.  I  haint  had  any  for  a  coon's  age,  and  it'd  go 
mighty  good  as  a  change  from  camp  rations.  Buttermilk 
and  rebels  sometimes  grow  near  together.  You  look  for 
one^  I'll  look  for  the  other.   Mebbe  we  kin  git  both." 


"PPJDE   GCETH   FORin  BEFORE  A  FALL." 


'^I  wouldn't  mind  liavin'  some  LutTeriniik  an'  ccrn- 
pone  myself/'-  said  Si.  '"'But  I'd  like  mucli  better  to  drop 
on  some  rebels  somewhere,  and  bring  "em  into  camp,  and 
sliOAv  that  we  kin  git  more  information  than  the  whole 
regiment  kin.-' 

"All  right.'"  assented  Shorty:  ^'ask  the  Captain  to  let  tis 
go.  I'll  be  bound  we'll  lind  something  worth  goin'  lor.  if 
it's  no  more'ii  a  chicken  for  the  Captain's  supper.  I'd 
like  to  take  in  one  for  him.  He's  been  mighty  good  to 
me  and  you  in  seA'eral  ways,  and  I'd  like  to  show  him 
that  we  appreciate  it.'' 

As  the  regiment  had  gone  as  far  as  ordered  without 
discovering  anything  that  in  the  least  threatened  the 
peace  in  that  portion  of  Tennessee,  it  would  start  on  its 
return,  after  the  men  had  rested  and  had  dinner.  Si 
and  Shorty,  consequently,  had  no  difficulty  in  securing 
the  desired  permission. 

They  cut  off  through  a  side-road,  which  gave  promise 
of  leading  into  a  better-settled  part  of  the  country  than 
that  they  had  been  traversing.  A  mile  or  so  of  walki.ng 
brought  them  in  sight  of  the  substantial  chimneys  of  a 
farm-house  showing  above  the  trees.  A  glimjDse  of  a  well- 
fenced  field  roused  warm  hopes  in  Shorty's  heart. 

''Xow,  I  think  we're  comin'  to  a  better  thing  than  we've 
ever  struck  before."  said  he,  as  they  stopped  and  sur- 
veyed the  prospect.  ''AVe've  got  out  o'  the  barren  plateaus 
and  into  the  rich  farming  country.  That's  likely  a  farm 
jest  like  they  have  up  in  Iniianny.  and  it's  way  off  where 
they  haint  knowed  nothin'  o'  the  war.  Xo  soljer's  ever 
been  anigh  'em,  and  they've  jest  got  lots  and  plenty  o' 
everything.  They've  got  a  great  big  barnyard  full  o' 
chickens  and  turkeys,  pigs  and  geese  and  guineas.  There, 
you  kin  hear  the  guineas  hollerin'  now.  There's  cows 
layin'  iu  the  shade  chawin''  the  cud,  while  their  calves 


SI  Ktma  AND  saoRTY. 


are  cavoitin'  around  in  the  svm,  hogs  rootin'  m  the 
woods -pasture,  horses  and  sheep  in  the  medder,  and 
everything  like  it  is  at  home.  And  down  a  little  ways 
from  the  house  there's  a  cool  spring  house,  with  clear, 
cold  water  wellin'  up  and  ripplin'  out  over  the  clean 
white  sand,  with  crocks  o'  fresh  milk  setting  in  it  with 
cream  a  half  an  inch  thick,  and  big  jars  o'  buttermilk 
from  the  last  churnin',  and  piggins  o'  fresh  butter,  and 
mebbe  a  big  crock  full  o'  smearkase.  Si,  do  you  like 
smearkase?" 

"'Deed  I  do,"  answered  Si,  his  mouth  watering  at  the 
thought.  "My  goodness,  you  jest  orter  eat  some  o' 
mother's  smearkase.  She  jest  lays  over  all  the  women 
in  the  country  for  smearkase.  Many's  the  time  I've 
come  in  hot  and  sweatin'  from  the  field,  and  got  a  thick 
slice  o'  bread  clear  acrost  the  loaf  from  one  o'  the  girls, 
and  went  down  to  our  spring-house  and  spread  it  with 
fresh  butter,  and  then  put  a  thick  layer  o'  Smearkase  on 
top  o'  that,  and  then  got  about  a  quart  o'  cool  milk,  that 
was  half  cream,  from  one  o'  the  crocks,  and  then"  

"Shet  up.  Si,"  shouted  Shorty,  desperately.  "Do  you 
want  me  to  bang  you  over  the  head  with  my  musket? 
Do  you  'spose  I  kin  stand  everything?  But  I  believe 
there's  jest  sich  a  spring-house  doAvn  there,  and  we'll 
find  it  plumb-full  o'  all  them  sort  o'  things.  Le's  mosey 
on." 

"Do  you  think  there's  any  rebels  around  here?"  said 
Si,  the  caution  which  experience  had  taught  him  making 
a  temporary  r^assertion  of  itself. 

"Naw,"  said  Shorty,  contemptuously,  "there  ain't  no 
rebel  this  side  o'  the  Duck  Biver,  unless  some  straggler, 
who'd  run  if  he  saw  us.  If  we  ketch  sight  o'  one  we'll 
take  him  into  camp,  jest  to  gratify  you.  But  1  ain't  look- 
in'  for  none.   Buttermilk  and  cornpone's  what  I  want." 

The  scene  was  certainly  peaceful  enough  to  iustif)r 


''PRIDE  GOETH  FORTH  BEFORE  A  FALL.'*  307 


Shorty's  confidence.  A  calmer,  quieter  landscape  could 
not  have  been  found  in  the  whole  country.  A  negro  was 
plowing  in  a  distant  field,  with  occasional  sonorous  yells 
to  his  team.  He  did  not  seem  to  notice  the  soldiers,  nor 
did  a  gray-haired  white  man  who  w^as  sitting  on  the 
fence  superintending  him.  A  couple  of  negresses  were 
washing  the  family  linen  by  a  fire  under  a  large  kettle  on 
the  creek  bank,  at  some  distance  from  the  house,  and 
spreading  the  cleansed  garments  out  on  the  grass  to  dry 
and  bleach.  Cattle  and  horses  were  feeding  on  the 
fresh  Spring  grass  and  sheep  browsing  on  the  bushes  on 
the  hillside.  Hens  cackled  and  roosters  crowed;  the 
guineas,  ever  on  the  lookout,  announced  their  approach 
with  shrill,  crackling  notes.  Two  or  three  dogs  waked  up 
and  barked  lazily  at  them  as  they  walked  up  the  path  to 
where  an  elderly,  spectacled  woman  sat  on  the  porch 
knitting.  She  raised  her  eyes  and  threw^  her  spectacles 
on  top  of  her  head;  and  looked  curiously  at  them.  _ 

Whatever  faint  misgivings  Si  might  have  had  vanished 
at  the  utter  peacefulness  of  the  scene.  It  was  so  like  the 
old  home  that  he  had  left  that  he  could  not  imagine  that 
war  existed  any  v  here  near.  It  seemed  as  if  the  camp  at 
Murfreesboro'  and  the  bloody  field  of  Stone  River  must 
be  a  thousand  miles  away.  The  beds  of  roses  and  pinks 
which  bordered  the  walk  were  the  same  as  decorated  the 
front  yard  at  home.  There  were  the  same  clumps  of 
snowballs  and  lilacs  at  the  corners  of  the  house. 

*'Howdy,  gentlemen?"  said  the  woman,  as  they  came 

It  seemed  almost  a  wrong  and  insult  to  be  carrying 
deadly  arms  in  the  presence  of  such  a  woman,  and  Si 
and  Shorty  let  their  guns  slip,  down,  as  if  tiiey  were 
rather  ashamed  of  them.  L 

"Good  day,  ma'am,"  said  Shorty,  taking  off  his  hat 
poHtelj  and  wiping  his  face.    ''We're  lookin'  around  to 


308 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


git  some  cornpone  and  buttermilk,  and  didn't  know  but 
wPiat  you  might  let  us  have  some.  We're  willin'  to  pay 
for  it." 

"If  you  want  suthin'  to  eat,"  said  the  woman  promptly, 
''1  kin  gin  it  to  ye.  I  never  turn  no  hungry  man  away 
from  my  door.    Wait  a  minnit,  and  I'll  bring  ye  some." 

She  disappeared  inside  the  house,  and  Si  remarked  to 
Shorty: 

"Your  head's  level  this  time,  as  it  generally  is.  We'll 
git  something  that's  worth  while  eomin'  after." 

The  woman  reappeared  with  a  couple  of  good-size 
corn-dodgers  in  her  hand. 

"This  appears  to  be  all  the  bread  that's  left  over  from 
dinner,"  she  said.  "And  the  meat's  all  gone.  But  the 
wenches  '11  be  through  their  washin'  purty  soon,  and  then 
I'll  have  them  cook  ye  some  more,  if  ye'll  wait." 

"Thankee,  ma'am,"  said  Shorty  ;  "we  can't  wait.  This 
'11  be  a  plenty,  if  we  kin  only  git  some  buttermilk  to  go 
with  it.  We  don't  want  no  meat.  We  git  plenty  o'  that 
in  camp." 

"You  kin  have  all  the  buttermilk  ye  want  to  drink," 
she  answered,  "if  you'll  go  down  to  the  spring-house  thai 
and  git  it.  It's  fresh,  and  you'll  find  a  gourd  right  be- 
side o'  the  jar,  I'd  go  with  you,  but  it  allers  gives  me 
the  rheumatiz  to  go  nigh  the  spring-house." 

"Don't  bother,  ma'am,  to  go  with  us,"  said  Shorty 
politely."  We  are  very  much  obliged  to  you,  indeed,  and 
we  kin  make  out  by  ourselves.  How  much  do  we  owe 
you?"  And  he  pulled  a  greenback  dollar  from  his  pocket. 

"Nothin',  nothin',  at  all,"  said  the  woman  hastily.  "I 
don't  sell  vittels.  Never  thought  o'  sich  a  thing.  Ye 're 
welcome  to  all  you  kin  eat  any  time."   ^ 

^'WeU,  take  the  money,  and  let  us  ketch  a  couple  of 
them  chickens  there,"  said  Shorty,  laying  down  the  bill 
on  the  banistei  rail. 


"PKIDE  GOETH  FORTH  BEFORE  A  FALL."  309 


After  a  little  demur  the  woman  finally  agreed  to  this, 
and  picked  up  the  money.  The  boys  selected  two  fat 
chickens,  ran  them  down,  wrung  their  necks,  and,  afler 
repeating  their  thanks,  took  their  bread  and  started  for 
the  spring-house.  They  found  it  the  coolest  and  most  in- 
viting place  in  the  world  on  a  hot,  tirescme  day — just 


UNDESIRABLE  ACQUAINTANCES. 


such  a  bpui;  as  Shorty  had  described.  It  was  Duiit  oi 
rough  stones,  and  covered  with  a  moss-grown  roof.  A 
copious  spring  poured  out  a  flood  of  clear,  cool  water, 
which  flowed  over  white  pebbles  and  clean-looking  sand 
until  it  formed  a  cress-bordered  rivulet  just  beyond  the 
house.   In  the  water  sat  crocks  of  fresh  milk,  a  lar^e  jar 


SIO 


€1  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


of  biittermilk,  and  buckets  of  butter.  The  looks,  the 
cool,  pure  freshness  of  the  place,  were  delightful  con- 
trasts from  the  tiresome  smells  and  appearances  of  the 
camp  kitchens.  The  boys  reveled  in  the  change.  They 
forgot  all  about  war's  alarms,  stood  their  rifles  up  against 
the  side  of  the  spring-house,  washed  their  dust-grimed 
faces  and  hands  in  the  pure  water,  dried  them  with  their 
handkerchiefs,  and  prepared  to  enjoy  their  meal.  How 
good  the  buttermilk  tasted  along  with  the  cornpone. 
The  fresh  milk  was  also  sampled,  and  some  of  the  butter 
spread  upon  their  bread. 

I  Si  even  went  to  the  point  of  declaring  that  it  was  al- 
most as  good  as  the  things  he  used  to  eat  at  home,  which 
was  the  highest  praise  he  could  possibly  give  to  any  food. 
Si  never  found  anywhere  victuals  or  cookincr  to  equal 
that  of  his  mother.  ■  l  ^^-rr--Tr.~^^ 

He  was  pointing  out  to  Shorty,  as  they  munched,  the 
likenesses  and  unlikenesses  of  this  spring-house  to  that 
on  the  Wabash,  when  they  were  startled  by  the  stern 
command: 

''Surrender,  there,  you  infernal  Yankees!" 

They  looked  up  with  startled  eyes  to  stare  into  a  dozen 
muskets  leveled  straight  at  their  heads  from  the  willow 
thicket.  Corndodgers  and  milk-gourds  dropped  into  the 
water  as  they  impulsively  jumped  to  their  feet, 

"If  yo^uns  move  we'uns  '11  blow  the  lights  outen  yo'uns. 
shouted  the  leader  of  the  rebels.    ''Hold  up  yer  hands."  : 

It  was  a  moment  of  the  most  intense  anguish  that 
cither  of  them  had  ever  known.  Their  thoughts  were 
lightninglike  in  rapidity.  The  rebel  muzzles  were  not 
a  rod  away,  their  aim  was  true,  and  it  Avould  be  madness 
to  risk  their  fire,  for  it  meant  certain  death. 

The  slightest  move  toward  resistance  was  suicide. 

Si  gave  a  deep  groan,  and  up  went  his  hands  at  tho 
same  moment  with  Shorty's. 


"PRIDE  GOETH  FORTH  BEFORE  A  FALL.'*  811 


The  rebels  rushed  out  of  the  clump  of  willows  behind 
which  they  had  crept  up  on  the  boj^s,  and  surrounded 
them.  Two  snatched  up  their  guns,  and  the  othejLs  be- 
gan pulling  off  their  haversacks  and  other  personal 
property  as  their  own  shares  of  the  booty.  In  the  midst 
of  thiSj  Si  looked  around,  and  saw  the  woman  standing 
near  calmly  knitting. 

"You  ain't  so  afeared  o'  rheumatism  all  at  once,"  he 
said  bitterly. 

"My  rheumatiz  has  spells,  young  man,  same  ez  other 
people's,"  she  answered,  j^uHing  one  of  the  needles  out, 
and  counting  the  stitches  with  it.  "Sometimes  it  is  bet- 
ter, and  sometimes  it  is  wuss.  Jest  now  it  is  a  great 
deal  better,  thankee.  I  only  wisht  I  could  toll  the  whole 
Yankee  ar^iy.  to  destruction  ez  easy  ez  you  wuz.  My, 
but  ye  w^alked  right  in,  like  the  fly  to  the  sj^ider.  I  never 
had  nothin'  do  my  rheumatiz  so  much  good."  ' 

And  she  cackled  with  delight. 

*When  you  git  through,"  she  continued,  addressing 
the  leader  of  the  rebels,  "come  up  to  the  house,  and  I'll 
have  some  dinner  cooked  for  ye.  I  know  ye're  powerful 
tired  an'  hongry.  I  s'poso  nothin'  need  be  cooked  for 
them,"  and  she  pointed  her  knitting-needle  contemptu- 
ously at  Si  and  Shorty.  "Qle  Satan '11  be  iDurvidin'  fur 
them.    I'll  take  these  along  to  cook  fur  ye." 

She  gathered  up  the  dead  chickens  and  stalked  back 
to  the  house. 

'''Ef  we're  gwine  t'  shoot  they'uns  le's  take  they'uns 
over  thar  on  the  knoll,  whar  they'uns  won't  spile 
nothin',"  said  one  evil-looking  man,  who  had  just  ran- 
sacked Si's  pockets  and  appropriated  everything  in  them. 
"Hit'd  be  too  bad  t'  kill  they'uns  here  right  in  sight  o' 
the  house." 

"Le'me  see  them  letters,  Bushrod,"  said  the  leader, 
snatching  a  package  of  letters  and  Annabel's  picture 


312 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


out  of  the  other's  hand.  "Mebbe  thar's  some  news  in 
them  that  the  Captam'd  like  to  have." 

Si  gnashed  his  teeth  as  he  saw  the  cherished  missives 
rudely  torn  open  and  scanned,  and  especially  when  the 
ambrotype  case  was  opened  and  Annabel's  features  made 
the  subject  of  coarse  comment.  The  imminent  prospect 
of  being  murdered  had  a  much  lighter  pang. 

While  the  letters  and  ambrotype  w^ere  being  looked 
over  the  process  of  robbery  was  going  on.  One  had 
snatched  Si's  cap,  another  had  pulled  off  his  blouse,  and 
there  was  a  struggle  as  to  who  should  have  possession  of 
his  new  Government  shoes,  which  w^ere  regarded  as  a 
great  prize.  Si  had  resisted  this  spoliation,  but  was 
caught  from  behind  and  held,  despite  his  kicks  and 
struggles,  while  the  shoes  Avere  pulled  ofi.  Shorty  was 
treated  in  the  same  way. 

In  a  few  minutes  both,  exhausted  by  their  vigorous  re- 
sistance, were  seated  on  the  ground,  with  nothing  left 
on  them  but  their  pantaloons,  while  their  captors  were 
quarreling  over  the  division  of  their  personal  effects,  and 
as  to  what  disposition  was  to  be  made  of  them.  In  the 
course  of  the  discussion  the  boys  learned  that  they  had 
been  captured  by  a  squad  of  young  men  from  the  immedi- 
ate neighborhood,  who  had  been  allowed  to  go  home  on 
furlough,  had  been  gathered  together  when  the  regiment 
appeared,  and  had  been  watching  every  movement  from 
sale  coverts.  They  had  seen  Si  and  Shorty  leave,  and 
had  carefully  dogged  their  steps  until  such  moment  as 
they  could  pounce  on  them. 

"Smart  as  we  thought  we  wuz,"  said  Si  bitterly,  "we 
played  right  into  their  hands.  They  tracked  us  down 
jest  as  if  we'd  bin  a  couple  o'  rabbits,  and  ketched  us 
jest  when  they  wanted  us." 

He  gave  a  groan  which  Shorty  echoed. 


PPJDE  GOETII  FOIiTII   EEFOPE  A  FALL."  813 


Biisliroci  and  two  others  were  for  killing  the  two  boys 
then  and  there  and  ending  the  matter. 

"They  orter  be  killed,  Ike^  right  here."  said  Buslircd  to 
the  leader.  '"'They  deserve  it,  and  vre'tins  haint  got  no 
time  to  fool.  We'iins  can't  take  they'uns  back  wiih 
we'uns,  ef  we  wanted  to^  and  I  for  one  don"t  want  to. 
I'd  ez  soon  have  a  rattlesnake  arciind  me.'^ 


THE  SPOILS  OF  ^Yxn. 


But  Ike,  the  leader,  was  farther-seeing.  Ue  represent- 
ed to  the  others  th<^  vengoajice  the  Yankees  would  take 
on  the  people  of  the  neighbcrliocd  if  they  murdered  the 
soldiers. 

This  developed  another  party,  who  favored  taking  the 
prisoners  to  some  distance  and  killing  them  there,  so  as 
to  avoid  the  contingency  that  Ike  had  set  forth.  Then 


314 


€1   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


there  were  propositions  to  deliver  them  over  to  the  guer- 
rilla leaders,  to  be  disposed  of  as  they  pleased. 

Finally,  it  occurred  to  Ike  that  they  were  talking  en- 
tirely too  freely  before  the  prisoners,  unless  they  in- 
tended to  kill  them  outright,  for  they  were  giving  infor- 
mation in  regard  to  the  position  and  operations  of  rebel 
bands  that  might  prove  dangerous.  He  drew  his  squad 
off  a  little  distance  to  continue  the  discussion.  At  first 
they  kept  their  eyes  on  the  prisoners  and  their  guns  ready 
to  fire,  but  as  they  talked  they  lost  their  wat-^^^d  atti- 
tude in  the  eagerness  of  making  their  points. 

Si  looked  at  Shorty,  and  caught  an  answering  gleam. 
Like  a  flash  both  were  on  their  feet  and  started  on  a  mad 
rush  for  the  fence.  Bushrod  saw  them  start,  and  fired. 
His  bullet  cut  off  a  lock  of  Si's  auburn  hair.  Others  fired 
as  fast  as  they  could  bring  their  guns  up,  and  the  bul- 
lets sang  viciously  around,  but  none  touched  the  fugi- 
tives. Their  bare  feet  were  torn  by  the  briars  as  they 
ran,  but  they  thought  not  of  these.  They  plunged  into 
the  blackberry  briars  along  the  fence,  climbed  it,  and 
gained  the  road  some  distance  ahead  of  their  pursuers, 
who  were  not  impelled  by  the  fear  of  immediate,death  to 
spur  them  on.  Up  the  road  went  Si  and  Shorty  with  all 
the  speed  that  will-power  could  infuse  into  their  legs. 
Some  of  the  rebels  stopped  to  reload;  the  others  ran  after. 
A  score  of  noisy  dogs  suddenly  waked  up  and  joined  in 
the  pursuit.  The  old  white  man  mounted  his  horse  and 
came  galloping  toward  the  house. 

On  the  boys  ran,  gaining,  it  anything,  upon  the  fore- 
most of  the  rebels.  The  dogs  came  nearer,  but  before 
they  could  do  any  harm  the  boys  halted  for  an  instant 
and  poured  such  a  volley  of  stones  into  them  that  they 
^an  back  lamed  and  yelping.  The  fleetest-footed  of  the 
rebels,  who  was  the  sanguinary  Bushrod,  also  came 
within  a  stone's  throwA  and  received  a  well-aimed  bowlder 


"PRIDE  GOETH  FORTH  BEFORE  A  FALL." 


315 


from  Si's  muscular  hand  full  in  his  face.  This  cheered 
the  boys  so  that  they  ran  ahead  with  increased  speed 
and  finally  gained  the  top  of  the  hill  from  which  they 
had  first  seen  the  farm-hovise. 

They  looked  back  and  saw  their  enemies  still  after 
them.    Ike  had  taken  the  old  man's  horse  and  was  com- 


AN  UNCOMFOrvTABLE  SITUATION. 

ing  on  a  gallop.  They  knew  he  had  a  revolver,  and 
shivered  at  the  thought.  But  both  stooped  and  selected 
the  best  stones  to  throw,  to  attack  him  >vith  as  soon  as 
he  came  within  range.  They  halted  a  minute  to  get  their 
breath  and  nerve  for  a  good  effort.  Jke  had  reached  a 
steep,  difficult  part  of  the  road,  where  his  horse  had  to 
come  down  to  a  walk  and  pick  his  way. 
"Now,  Si."  said  Shortv.  ''throw  for  your  life,  if  you  never 


316 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHOUTY. 


did  before.  Fm  goin'  to  git  him.  You  take  his  horse's 
head.   Aim  for  that  white  blaze  in  his  forehead." 

Si  concentrated  his  energy  into  one  supreme  effort.  He 
could  always  beat  the  rest  of  the  boys  in  throwing  stones, 
and  now  his  practice  was  to  save  him.  He  flung  the 
smooth,  round  pebble  with  terrific  force,  and  it  went  true 
to  its  mark.  The  horse  reared  with  his  rider  just  at  the 
instant  that  a  bowlder  from  Shorty's  hand  landed  on 
Ike's  breast.  The  rebel  fell  to  the  ground,  and  the  boys 
ran  on. 

At  the  top  of  the  next  hill  they  saw  the  regiment  march- 
ing leisurely  along  at  the  foot  of  the  hill.  It  was  so  un- 
expected a  deliverance  that  it  startled  them.  It  seemed 
so  long  since  they  had  left  the  regiment  that  it  might 
have  been  clear  back  to  Nashville.  They  yelled  with  all 
their  remaining  strength,  and  tore  down  the  hill.  Co.  Q 
saw  them  at  once,  and  at  the  command  of  the  Captain 
came  forward  at  the  double-quick.  The  rebels  had  in 
the  meanwhile  gained  the  top  of  the  hill.  A  few  shots 
were  fired  at  them  as  they  turned  from  the  chase. 

The  Colonel  rode  back  and  questioned  the  boys.  Then 
he  turned  to  the  Captain  of  Co.  Q  and  said: 

"Captain,  take  your  company  over  to  that  house.  If 
you  find  anything  that  you  think  we  fieed  in  camp,  bring 
it  back  with  you.    Put  these  boys  in  the  ambulance." 

The  exhausted  Si  and  Shorty  were  helped  into  the  am- 
bulance, the  Surgeon  gave  them  a  reviving  drink  of 
whisky  and  quinine,  and  as  they  stretched  themselves 
out  on  the  cushioned  seats  Si  remarked: 

"Shorty,  we  ain't  ez  purty  ez  w^e  used  to  be,  but  we 
know  a  durned  sight  more." 

"I  doubt  it,"  said  Shorty  surlily.  "I  think  me  and 
you'll  be  fools  as  long  as  we  live.  We  won't  be  fools  the 
same  way  agin,  you  kin  bet  your  life,  but  we'll  find  some 
other  way. 


A  PERIOD  OF  SELF-DISGUST. 


317 


CHAPTEE  XXDC 

SI  AXD  SHORTY  HAVE  A  PERIOD  OF  SELF-DISGUST  FOLLOWED 
BY  RECOVERY. 

It  took  many  days  for  the  boys'  lacerated  feet  to  re- 
coA'er  sufficiently  to  permit  their  going  about  and  return- 
ing to  duty.  They  spent  the  period  of  enforced  idleness 
in  chewing  the  cud  of  bitter  reflection.  The  thorns  had 
cut  far  more  painfully  into  their  pride  than  into  their  feet. 
The  time  was  mostly  passed  in  moody  silence,  very 
foreign  to  the  customary  liveliness  of  the  Hoosier's  Rest. 
They  only  spoke  to  one  another  on  the  most  necessary 
subjects,  and  then  very  briefly.  In  their  sour  shame  t^ 
the  whole  thing  they  even  became  wroth  with  each 
other.  Shorty  sneered  at  the  way  Si  cleaned  up  the 
house,  and  Si  condemned  Shorty's  cooking.  Thence- 
forth Shorty  slept  on  the  floor,  while  Si  occujjied  the  bed, 
and  they  cooked  their  meals  separately.  The  newness 
of  the  clothes  they  drew  from  the  Quartermaster  angered 
them,  and  they  tried  to  make  them  look  as  dirty  and 
shabby  as  the  old. 

Once  they  were  on  the  point  of  actually  cominQ'  to 
blows. 

Si  had  thoughtlessly  flung  some  dishwater  into  the 
company  street.  It  was  a  misdemeanor  that  in  ordinary 
times  would  have  been  impossible  to  him.  Now  almost 
anything  was. 

Shorty  instantly  growled: 

''You  slouch,  you  ought  to  go  to  the  guardhouse  for 
that." 

Si  retorted  hotly: 

''Slouch  yourself!   Look  where  you  throwed  them  cof- 


318 


SI   KLEGa   AND  SHORTY. 


fee-grounds  this  morning/'  and  he  pointed  to  the  tell- 
tale evidence  beside  the  house. 

"Well,  that  ain't  near  so  bad/'  said  Shorty  crustily. 
"That  at  least  pretended  to  be  tidy." 

"Humph/'  said  Si,  with  supreme  disdainfulness.  "It's 
the  difference  betwixt  sneakin'  an'  straight-out.  I 
throwed  mine  right  out  in  the  street.  You  tried  to  hide 
yours,  and  made  it  all  the  nastier.  But  whatever  you 
do's  all  right.  Whatever  1  do's  all  wrong.  You're  a 
pill." 


SHORTY  AND  SI  ARE  AT  OUTS. 


"Look  here,  Mister  Klegg,"  said  Shorty,  stepping  for- 
ward with  doubled  fist,  "I'll  have  you  understand  that 
I've  stood  all  the  slack  and  impudence  from  you  that  I'm 
a-goin  to.'*  ' 


A  PERIOD  OF  SELF  DISGUST. 


819 


"Shorty,  if  you  double  your  fist  up  at  me/'  roared  the 
irate  Si,  "I'll  knock  your  head  off  in  a  holy  minute.'* 

The  boys  of  Co.  Q  were  thunderstruck.  It  seemed  as  if 
their  world  was  toppling  when  two  such  partners  should 
disagree.  They  gathered  around  in  voiceless  sorrow  and 
wonderment  and  watched  developments. 

Shorty  seemed  in  the  act  of  springing  forward,  when 
the  sharp  roll  of  the  drum  at  Headquarters  beating  the 
^'assembly"  arrested  all  attention.  Everyone  looked 
eagiarly  toward  the  Colonel's  tent,  and  saw  him  come  out 
buckling  on  his  sword,  while  his  Orderly  sped  away  for 
his  horse.  Apparently,  all  the  officers  had  been  in  con- 
sultation with  him,  for  they  were  hurrying  away  to  tliei* 
several  companies. 

"Fall  in,  Co.  Q,"  shouted  the  Orderly-Sergeant.  "Fall 
in  promptly." 

Everybody  made  a  rush  for  his  gun  and  equipments. 

"Hurry  up.  Orderly,"  said  Capt.  McGillicuddy,  coming 
up  with  sword  and  belt  in  hand.  "Let  the  boys  take 
what  rations  they  can  lay  their  hands  on,  but  not  stop  to 
cook  ally.  We've  got  to  go  on  the  jump." 

All  was  rush  and  hurry.  Si  and  Shorty  bolted  for 
their  house,  forgetful  of  their  mangled  feet.  Si  got  in 
first,  took  his  gun  and  cartridge-box  down,  and  buckled 
on  his  belt.  He  looked  around  for  his  rations  while 
Shorty  was  jjutting  on  his  things.  His  bread  and  meat 
and  Shorty's  were  separate,  and  there  was  no  trouble 
about  them.  But  the  coffee  and  sugar  had  not  been  di- 
vided, and  were  in  common  receptacles.  He  oj:)ened  the 
coffee-can  and  looked  in.  There  did  not  seem  to  be  more 
than  one  ration  there.  He  hesitated  a  brief  instant 
what  to  do.  It  would  serve  Shorty  just  right  to  take  all 
the  coffee.  He  liked  his  coffee  even  better  than  Shorty 
did,  and  was  very  strenuous  abou'  having  it.  If  he  did 
take*  M  Shorty  might  think  that  he  was  either  anxi- 


820 


SI   KLEGG   AND    SHOETY.  y 


ous  to  make  up  or  afraid^  and  he  wanted  to  demonstrate 
that  he  was  neither.  Then  thfere  was  a  twinge  that  it 
would  be  mean  to  take  the  coffee,  and  leave  his  partner, 
senseless  and  provoking  as  he  seemed,  without  any. 
He  set  the  can  down,  and  turning  as  if  to  look  for  some- 
thing to  empty  it  in,  pretended  to  hear  something  outside 
the  house  to  make  him  forget  it,  and  hurried  out. 

Presently  Shorty  came  out,  and  ostentatiously  fell  into 
line  at  a  distance  from  Si.  It  was  the  first  time  they 
had  not  stood  shoulder  to  shoulder. 

The  Orderly-Sergeant  looked  down  the  line,  and  called 
out : 

"Here,  Corp'l  Klegg,  you^'e  not  fit  to  go.  Neither  are 
you,  Shorty.   Step  out,  both  of  you." 

"Yes,  I'm  all  right,"  said  Shorty.  "Feet's  got  well.  I 
kin  outwalk  a  Wea  Injun." 

"Must've  bin  using  some  Lightning  Elixir  Liniment," 
said  the  Orderly-Sergeant  incredulously.  "I  saw  you 
both  limping  around  like  string-halted  horses  not  15 
minutes  ago.    Step  out,  I  tell  you.". 

"CaiDtain,  le'  me  go  along,",  pleaded  Si.  "You  never 
knowed  me  to  fall  Out,  did  you?" 

"Captain,  I  never  felt  activer  in  my  life,"  asserted 
Shorty;  "and  you  know  I  always  kept  up.  I  never  played 
sorc-rOot  any  day." 

"I  don't  believe  either  of  you're  fit  to  go,"  said  Capt. 
McGillicuddy,  "but  1  won't  deny  you.  You  may  start 
anyAvay.  By  the  time  we  get  to  the  pickets  you  can  fall 
out  if  you  find  you  can't  keep  uji." 

"The  rebel  cavalry's  jumped  a  herd  of  beef  cattle  out 
at  pasture,  run  off  the  guard,  and  are  trying  to  get  away 
with  them,"  the  Orderly-Sergeant  hurriedly  explained,  as 
he  lined  up  Co.  Q.  "We're  to  make  a  short  cut  across 
the  country  and  try  to  cut  them  off.  Sir,  the  company 's 
formed." 


A  PEEIOD  OF  SELP-DISGrST. 


821 


''Attention,  Co.  Q!''  shouted  Capt.  lEcGillic-iiddy. 
'•'Eight  face!— Forward,  file  left!— ^larch!''-" 

The  compa?iy  went  off  at  a  terrific  pace  to  get  its  place 
with  the  regiment,  which  had  already  started  without  it. 

Though  every  step  was  a  pang.  Si  and  Shorty  kept  up 
unfiinchingly.  Each  was  anxious  to  outdo  the  other, 
and  to  bear  off  bravely  before  the  company.  The  Cap- 
tain and  Orderly-Sergeant  took  an  occasional  look  at 
them  until  they  passed  the  picket-line,  when  other  more 
pressing  matters  engaged  the  officers'  attention. 

The  stampeded  guards,  mounted  on  mules  or  con- 
demned horses,  or  running  on  foot,  came  tearing  back, 
each  with  a  prodigious  tale  of  the  numbers  and  ferocity 
of  the  rebels.  - 

The  regiment  was  pushecTTorward  with  all  the  speed 
there  was  in  it.  going  down-hill  and  over  the  level  stretch 
at  a  double- Cjuick.  Si  felt  his  feet  bleeding,  and  it 
seemed  at  times  that  he  could  not  go  another  step,  but 
then  he  wotild  look  back  down  the  line  and  catch  a 
glimpse  of  Shorty  keeping  abreast  of  his  set  of  fours,  and 
he  would  spur  himself  to  renewed  effort.  Shorty  would 
long  to  throw  himself  in  a  fence-corner  and  rest  for  a 
week,  until,  as  they  went  over  some  rise,  he  would  catch 
sight  of  Si's  sandy  hair,  well  in  the  lead,  when  he  would 
drink  in  fresh  determination  to  keep  up,  if  he  died  in  the 
attempt. 

Presently  they  arrived  at  the  top  of  a  hill  from  which 
they  could  see  the  rebel  cavalry  rounding  up  and  driving 
off  the  cattle,  while  a  portion  of  the  enemy's  horsemen 
were  engaged  in  a  fight  with  a  small  squad  of  infantry 
ensconced  behind  a  high  rail  fence. 

Si  and  Shorty  absolutely  forgot  their  lameness  as  Co. 
Q  separated  from  the  column  and  rushed  to  the  assist- 

6  0 


822 


m   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


ance  of  the  squad,  while  the  rest  of  the  regiment  turned 
off  to  the  right  to  cut  off  the  herd.  But  they  were  lame 
all  the  same,  and  tripped  and  fell  over  a  low  fence  which 
the  rest  of  the  company  easily  leaped.  They  gathered 
themselves  up,  sat  on  the  ground  for  an  instant  and 
glared  at  one  another. 

"Blamed  old  tangle-foot,"  said  Shorty  derisively. 

"You've  got  hoofs  like  a  foundered  hoss,"  retorted  Si. 

After  this  interchange  of  compliments,  they  staggered 
painfully  to  their  feet  and  picked  up  their  guns,  which 
had  flown  some  distance  from  their  hands  as  they  fell. 

By  this  time  Co.  Q  was  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away,  and 
already  beginning  to  fire  on  the  rebels,  who  showed  signs 
of  relinquishing  the  attack. -  ■ 

"Gol  darn  the  luck!"  said  Si  with  Wabash  emphasis, 
beginning  to  limp  forward. 

"Wish  the  w^hole  outfit  was  a  mile  deep  in  burnin' 
brimstone,"  wrathfuUy  observed  Shorty. 

A  couple  of  lucky  shots  had  emptied  two  of  the  rebel 
saddles.  The  frightened  horses  turned  away  from  the 
fighting  line,  and  galloped  down  the  road  to  the  right  of 
the  boys.  The  leading  one  suddenly  halted  in  a  fence- 
corner  about  30  yards  away  from  Si,  threw  up  his  head 
and  began  surveying  the  scene,  as  if  undecided  what  to 
do  next.  The  other,  seeing  his  mate  stop,  began  circling 
o,round. 

Hope  leaped  up  in  Si's  breast.  He  began  creeping  to- 
ward the  first  horse,  under  the  covert  of  the  sumach. 
Shorty  saw  his  design  and  the  advantage  it  would  give 
Si,  and  standing  still  began  swearing  worse  than  ever 

Si  crept  up  as  cautiously  as  he  had  used  to  in  the  old 
days  when  he  was  rabbit-hunting  The  horse  thrust  his 
head  over  the  fence,  and  began  nibbling  at  a  clump  of 
tall  rye  growing  there.  Si  thrust  his  hand  out  and  caught 
his  bridle.   The  horse  made  one  frightened  plunge,  but 


A  PERIOD  OF  SELF-DISGUST. 


823 


tlie  liaiid  on  his  bridle  held  with  the  grip  of  iron,  and  he 
settled  down  to  mute  obedience. 

Si  set  his  gun  down  in  the  fence-corner  and  climbed 
into  the  saddle. 

Shorty  made  the  Spring  air  yellow  with  profanity  until 
he  saw  Si  ride  away  from  his  gun  toward  the  other  horse. 
"When  the  latter  saw  his  mate,  with  a  rider,  coming  to- 
ward him  he  gave  a  whinney  and  dashed  forr^-ard.  In 
an  instant  Si  had  hold  of  his  bridle  and  was  turning 
back.  His  face  was  bright  with  tritimph.  Shorty  stop- 
ped in  the  middle  of  a  soul-curdling  oath  and  yelled  de- 
lightedly: 

"Bully  for  old  Wabash!  You're  my  pardner,  after  all. 

Si." 

He  hastened  forward  to  the  fence,  grabbed  up  Si's  gun 
and  handed  it  to  him,  and  then  climbed  into  the  other 
saddle'. 

The  rebels  were  now  falling  back  rapidly  before  Co, 
Q's  fire.  A  small  party  detached  itself  and  started  down 
a  side  road. 

Si  and  Shorty  gave  a  yell,  and  galloped  toward  them, 
in  full  sight  of  Co.  Q,  who  raised  a  cheer.  The  rebels 
sjourred  their  horses,  but  Si  and  Shorty  gained  on  them. 

^*Come  on,  Shorty,''  Si  yelled.  "I  don't  believe  thy'Te 
got  a  shot  left.    They  haint  fired  once  since  they  started." 

He  was  risht.   Their  cartridge-boxes  had  been  emntied. 

At  the  bottom  of  the  hill  a  creek  crossing  the  road 
made  a  deep,  wide  quagmire.  The  rebels  were  in  too 
much  hurry  to  pick  out  whatever  road  there  might  have 
been  through  it.  Their  leaders  plunged  in,  their  horses 
sank  nearly  to  the  knees,  and  the  whole  party  bunched 

"Surrender,  you  rebel  galoots/''  yelled  Si,  reining  up  at 
a  little  distance,  and  bringing  his  gun  to  bear^ 


§24  SI  KLEGG   AND   SHORTY.  , 

'^Surrender,  you  offscourings  of  secession/'  added 
Shorty. 

The  rebels  looked  back,  held  up  their  hands,  and  said 
imploringly : 

"Don't  shoot;  'Mister.  We'uns  give  up.  We'uns  air 
taylored.'V  J         .  '  ' 


fil  AND  SHORTY  AS  MOUNTED  INFANTRY. 


f  "Come  back  up  here,  one  by  one/' commanded  Si,  "and 
go  to  our  rear.  Hold  on  to  your  guns.  Don't  throw  'em 
away.    We  ain't  afraid  of  'em." 

One  by  one  the  rebels  extricated  their  horses  from  the 
mire  with  more  or  less  difficulty  and  filed  back.    Si  kept 


k  PEEIOD  OF  SELF-BISGUST. 


825 


Iii^  gun  on  those  in  the  quagmire,  while  Shorty  attended 
to  the  others  as  they  came  back.  Co.  Q  was  coming  to 
Ills  assistance  as  fast  as  the  boys  could  march. 

What  was  the  delight  of  the  boys  to  recognize  in  their 
captives  the  squad  which  had  cajDtured  them.  The 
sanguinary  Bushrod  Y>'as  the  first  to  come  back,  and  Si 
had  to  restrain  a  violent  impulse  to  knock  him  off  his 
horse  with  his  gun-barrel.  But  he  decided  to  settle  with 
liiin  when  through  with  the  present  business. 

By  the  time  the  rebels  were  all  up,  Co.  Q  had  arrived 
on  the  scene.  As  the  prisoners  were  being  disarmed 
and  put  under  guard,  Si  called  out  to  Capt.  McGillicuddy : 

'"Captain,  one  o'  these  men  is  my  partickler  meat.  I 
want  to  'tend  to  him.'' 

"All  right,  Corporal,"  responded  the  Captain.  Attend 
to  him,  but  don't  be  too  rough  on  him.  Eemember  that 
he  is  an  unarmed  prisoner.'^ 

Si  and  Shorty  got  down  off  their  horses,  and  apjoroach- 
ed  Bushrod,  who  turned  white  as  deaths  trembled  vio- 
lently, and  began  to  beg. 

^'Gentlemen,  don't  kill  me,"  he  whined.  "Fm  a  poor 
man,  an'  have  a  fambly  to  support.  I  didn't  mean 
nothin'  by  wbat  I  said.  I  sw'ar'  t'  Lord  A'miglity  I 
didn't." 

"Jest  wanted  to  hear  yourself  talk—jest  practicin'  your 
voice,"  said  Shorty  sarcastically,  as  he  took  the  man  by 
the  shoulder  and  pulled  him  off  into  the  brush  by  the 
roadside.  "Jest  wanted  to  skeer  us,  and  see  how  fast 
we  could  run.    Pleasant  little  pastime,  ehP 

"And  them  things  you  said  about  a  young  }&Ay  up  in 
Injianny,"  said  Si,  clutching  him  by  the  throat,  "I 
want  to  Vvring  your  neck  jest  like  a  chicken's.  fThat'jd 
you  do  with  her  picture  and  letters?" 

Si  thrust  his  hand  unceremoniously  into  Bushrod's 
pocket  and  found  the  .ambrctype  of  Annabel.  A  brief 


32^ 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


glance  sliowed  him  that  it  was  all  right,  and  he  gave  a 
sigh  of  satisfaction,  which  showed  some  amelioration  of 
temper  toward  the  captive. 

"What'd  you  do  with  them  letters?"  Si  demanded 
fiercely . 

*'Ike  has  'em/'  said  Bushrod. 


BUSHROD  PRAYS  FOR  HIS  LIFE. 


''You've  got  my  shoes  on,  you  brindle  whelp,"   said  ^ 
Shorty,  giving  him  a  cuff  in  bitter  remembrance  of  his 
own  smarting  feet. 

"If  we're  goin'  to  shoot  him  let's  do  it  right  off,"  said 
Si,  looking  at  the  cap  on  his  gun.  "The  company's 
gittin'  ready  to  start  back.'*^ 


A  PERIOD  OF  SELF-DISGUST. 


S27 


"All  right,"  said  Shorty,  with  cheerful  alacrity. 
"Johnny,  your  ticket  for  a  brimstone  supper's  made  out. 
noA\ 'd  you  rather  be  shot — standin'  or  kneeiin'?" 

"0,  gentlemen,  don't  kill  me.  Ye  hadn't  orter.  Why 
do  ye  pick  me  out  to  kill?  I  wuzzent  no  wuss'n  the 
others.  I  wuzzent  raylly  half  ez  bad.  I  didn't  raylly 
mean  t'  harm  ye.  I  only  talked.  I  had  t'  talk  that-a- 
way,  for  I  alluz  was  a  Union  man,  and  had  t'  make  a 
show  for  the  others.    I  don't  want  t'  be  shot  at  all.'' 

"You  aint  answerin'  my  question,"  said  Shorty  coolly 
and  inexorably.  "1  asked  you  how^  you  preferred  to  be 
shot.  These  other  things  you  mention  hain't  nothin'  to 
do  with  my  question." 

He  leveled  his  gun  at  the  unhappy  man  and  took  a 
deliberate  sight. 

"0,  for  the  Lord  A'mighty's  sake,  don't  shoot  me  down 
like  a  dog,"  screamed  Bushrod.  "Le'me  have  a  chance 
to  pray,  an'  make  my  peace  with  my  Maker." 

"All  right,"  conceded  Shorty,  "go  and  kneel  down  there 
by  that  cottonwood,  and  do  the  fastest  prayin'  you  ever 
did  in  all  your  born  days,  for  you  have  need  of  it.  We'll 
shoot  when  I  count  tiiree.  You'd  better  mak®  a  clean 
breast  of  all  your  sins  and  transgressions  before  you  go. 
You'll  git  a  cooler  place  in  the  camp  down  below.* 

Unseen,  the  rest  of  Co.  Q  were  peeping  through  the 
bushes  and  enjoying  the  scene. 

Bushrod  knelt  down  with  his  face  toward  the  cotton- 
wood,  and  began  an  agonized  prayei,  mingled  with  con- 
fessions of  crimes  and  malefactions,  some  flagrant,  some 
which  brought  a  grin  of  amusement  to  the  faces  of  Co,  Q. 

"One!"  called  out  Shorty  in  stentorian  tones. 

"0,  for  the  love  o'  God,  Mister,  don't  shoot  me,"  yelled 
Bushrod,  whirling  around,  with  uplifted  arms.  "I'm  too 
wicked  t'  die,  an'  I've  got  a  fambly  dependin'  on  me." 

""Turn  around  theie,  and  finish  your  prayin',"  sternly 


328 


BI  KLEGa  AND  SHORTY. 


commanded  Shorty,  with  his  and  Si's  faces  down  to  the 
stocks  of  their  muskets,  in  the  act  of  taking  deliberate 
aim. 

Bushrod  flopped  around,  threw  increased  vehemence 
into  his  prayer,  and  resumed  his  recital  of  his  misdeeds. 
"Two!"  counted  Shorty. 

Again  Bushrod  whirled!  around  with  uplifted  hands 
and  begged  for  mercy. 

"Nary  mercy,"  said  Shorty.  "You  wouldn't  give  it  to 
us,  and  you  haint  given  it  to  many  others,  according  to 
your  own  account.  Your  light's  flickerin',  and  we'll  blow 
it  out  at  the  next  count.   Turn  around,  there." 

Bushrod  made  the  woods  ring  this  time  with  his  fer- 
vent, tearful  appeals  to  the  Throne  of  Grace.  He  was  so 
wrought  up  by  his  impending  death  that  he  did  not  hear 
Co.  Q  quietly  move  away,  at  a  sign  from  the  Captain 
with  Si  and  Shorty  mounting  their  horses  and  riding  off 
noiselessly  over  the  sod. 

For  long  minutes  Bushrod  continued  his  impassioned, 
appeals  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  expecting  every  instant 
to  have  the  Yankee  bullets  crash  through  his  brain.  At 
length  he  had  to  stop  from  lack  of  breath.  Everything 
was  very  quiet — deathly  so,  it  seemed  to  him.  He  stole 
a  furtive  glance  around.  No  Yankees  could  be  seen  out 
of  the  tail  of  his  eye  on  either  side.  Then  he  looked 
sauarely  around.  None  was  visible  anywhere.  He 
Jumped  up,  began  cursing  savagely,  ran  into  the  road, 
and  started  for  home.  He  had  gone  but  a  few  steps 
wken  he  came  squarely  in  front  of  the  musket  of  the 
Orderly-Sergeant  of  Co.  Q,  who  had  placed  himself  in 
conceaknent  to  see  the  end  of  the  play  and  bring  him 
along. 

"Halt,  there,"  commanded  the  Orderly-Sergeant;  "face 
the  other  way  and  tiot.  We  must  catch  with  the 
company.'* 


JL  PEEIOD  OF  SELF-DISGUST. 


Si  and  Shorty  felt  that  they  had  redeemed  themselves, 
and  returned  to  camp  in  such  good  humor  with  each 
other,  and  everybody  else,  that  they  forgot  that  their  feet 
were  almost  as  bad  as  ever. 

They  went  into  the  house  and  began  cooking  their 
supper  together  again.  Shorty  picked  up  the  co:ffee-can 
and  said: 

'^Si  Klegg,  you're  a  gentleman  all  through,  if  yon  was 
born  on  the  Wabash.  A  genuine  gentleman  is  knowej 
by  his  never  bein'  no  hog  under  no  circumstances.  I 
.matched  you  when  you  looked  into  this  coffee-can,  and 
mad  as  I  was  at  you,  I  said  you  was  a  thorobredjwheg 
you  left  it  all  to  me." 


330 


SI  KLEGa   AND  SHORTY. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

SHORTY  BECOMES  ENTANGLED  IN  A  HIGHLY  IMPORTANT  COR- 
RESPONDENCE. 

A  light  spring  wagon,  inscribed  "United  States  Sani- 
tary Commission,"  drove  through  the  camp  of  the  200th 
Ind.,  under  the  charge  of  a  dignified  man,  with  a  clerical 
cast  of  countenance,  who  w'alked  alongside,  looking  at 
the  soldiers  and  into  the  tents,  and  stopping  from  time  to 
time  to  hand  a  can  of  condensed  milk  to  this  one,  a  jar 
of  jam  to  another,  and  bunches  of  tracts  to  whomsoever, 
would  take  them. 

Shorty  was  sitting  in  front  of  the  house  bathing  his 
aching  feet.  The  man  stopped  before  him,  and  looked 
compassionately  at  his  swollen  pedals. 

"Your  feet  are  in  a  very  bad  way,  my  man,"  he  said 
sadly. 

"Yes,  durn  'em,"  said  Shorty  impatiently.  "I  don't 
seem  to  git  'em  well  nohow.  MustVe  got  'em  pizened 
when  I  w^as  runnin'  through  the  briars." 

"Probably  some  ivy  or  poison-oak,  or  nightshade  among 
the  briars.  Poison -oak  is  very  bad,  and  nightshade  is 
deadly.  I  knew  a  man  once  that  had  to  have  his  hand 
amputated  on  account  of  getting  poisoned  by  something 
that  scratched  him— nightshade,  ivy,  or  poison- oak.  I'm 
afraid  your  feet  are  beginning  to  mortify." 

"Well,  you  are  a  Job's  comforter,^"  thought  Shorty. 
"You'd  be  nice  to  send  for  when  a  man's  sick.  You'd 
scare  him  to  death,  even  if  there  was  no  danger  o'  his 
dyin'." 

"My  friend,"  said  the  man,  turning  to  his  wagon,  "I've 
here  a  nice  pair  of  home  made  socks,  which  1  will  give 


SKOPwir  ENTANGLED  IN  COERESPONDENCE.  231 


roil;  and  wliicli  come  in  nicely  if  you  save  your 

egs.  If  you  clon'r^  give  them  to  some  needy  man.  Here 
are  also  some  valuable  tracts,  full  of  religious  consola- 
tion and  advice,  ^^•llicIl  it  will  do  your  soul  good  to  peruse 
and  study.'' 

Shorty  took  the  gift  thankfully,  and  turned  over  the 
tracts  Avith  curiosity. 

'''On  the  Sin  of  Idolatry/''  he  read  the  title  of  the  first. 

'^Xow.  why'd  he  give  me  that?  What  graven  image 
have  I  bin  -worshiijin'?  "What  gods  of  wood  and  stone 
have  I  bin  bowin'  down  before  in  my  blindnss?  There've 
bin  times  when  I  thought  a  good  deal  more  of  a  Commis- 
sary tent  then  I  did  of  a  church,  but  I  got  cured  of  that 
as  soon  as  I  got  a  square  meal.  I  don't  see  where  I 
have  bin  guilty  of  idolatry." 

'•'On  the  Foil}'  of  Self-Pride,"  he  read  from  the  next  one. 
^'Hnniph,  there  may  be  something  in  that  that  I  oughter 
read.  I  am  very  liable  to  git  stuck  on  myself,  and  think 
how  purty  I  am,  and  how  graceful,  and  how  sweetly  I 
talk,  and  what  tine  cloze  I  wear.  Especially  the  cloze. 
I'll  put  that  tract  in  my  pocket  an'  read  it  after  awhile." 

*'0n  the  Evils  of  Gluttony,"  he  next  read.  "Well, 
that's  a  timely  tract,  for  a  fact.  I'm  in  the  habit  o' 
goin'  around  stuffin'  myself,  as  this  says,  \\ith  delicate 
viands,  and  drinkin'  fine  wines — 'makin'  my  belly  a 
god.'  The  man  what  YTote  this  must've  bin  intimately 
acquainted  with  IIls  sumptuous  menoo  whicti  Unc^ 
Sam  sets  bcfor?  his  nephews.  He  must've  knowed  ali 
about  the  dolicrate,  apetizin'  flavor  of  a  slab  o'  fat  poik 
four  inches  thick,  taken  off  the  side  of  the  hog  that's  ^up- 
permost  when  he's  laying  on  his  back.  And  how  I  gor- 
mandize on  hardtack  baked  in  the  first  place  for  the 
Eevolutioners,  and  kept  over  ever  since.  That  feUer 
knows  jest  what  he's  writiu'  about.  I'd  like  to  exchange 
ohotographs  with  him." 


332 


SI  KLEGG   AND  SHOETY. 


"Thou  Sheih  Not  Swear."  Shorty  read  a  few  words,  got 
red  in  the  face,  whistled  softly,  crumpled  the  tract  up, 
and  threw  it  away. 

*'0n  the  Sin  of  Dancing."  Shorty  yelled  with  laughter. 
"Me  dance  with  these  hoofs!  And  he  thinks  likely  morti- 
fication'll  set  in,  and  I'll  lose  'em  altogether.  Well,  he 
oughter  be  harnessed  up  with  Thompson's  colt.  Which'd 
come  out  ahead  in  the  race  for  the  fool  medal?  But  these 
seeip.  to  be  nice  socks.  Fine  yarn,  well-knit,  and  by 
stretching  a  little  I  think  I  kin  get  'em  on.  I  declare, 
they're  beauties.  I'll  jest  make  Si  sick  with  envy  when 
I  show  'em  to  him.  I  do  believe  they  lay  over  anything 
his  mother  ever  sent  him.    Hello,  Mdiat's  this?" 

He  extracted  from  one  of  them  a  note  in  a  small,  white 
envelope,  on  one  end  of  which  was  a  blue  Zouave,  with 
red  face,  hands,  cap  and  gaiters,  brandishing  a  red 
sword  in  defense  of  a  Star  Spangled  Banner  which  he 
held  in  his  left  hand. 

"Must  belong  to  the  Army  o'  the  Potomac,"  mused 
Shorty^  studying  the  picture.  "They  wear  all  sorts  o" 
outlandish  'tyiniforms  there.  That  led-headed  wood- 
peckerVl  be  shot  before  he'd  git  in  a  mile  o'  the  rebels 
out  here.  AU  that  hollyhock  business'd  jest  be  meat 
for  their  sharpshooters.  And  what's  he  doin'  with  that 
'ere  svvord:  I  woitidn't  give  that  Springfield  rifle  o'  mine 
<5Words  that  were  ever  hammered  out.  When 
i  reach  for  a  feller  600  or  even  800  yards  away  I  kin  fetch 
^Jm  every  time.  He's  my  meat  unless  he  jumps  behind 
a  tree.  But  as  for  swords,  I  never  could  see  no  sense  in 
'em,'  except  for  officers  to  put  on  lugs  with.  I  wouldn't 
pack  one  a  mile  for  a  wagonload  of  'em." 

He  looked  at  the  address  on  the  envelope.  Straight 
lines  had  been  scratched  across  with  a  pin.  On  these 
was  written,  in  a  cramped,  mincing  hand; 


SHOHTY  ENT^'GLED  IN  COEEESPOXDEXCE  335 

*'To  tlie  brare  soljer  wlio  Gits  these  Socks." 

^'Humpli.''  mused  Sliortv,  ^"tliat's  piobablv  for  me. 
I've  got  tlie  socks,  and  I'm  a  soldier.  As  to  i>\-lietlier  I'm 
brave  or  iiot's  a  matter  of  opinion.  Sometimes  I  think  I 
am:  agin,  v.-lien  there's  a  dozen  rebel  gtins  pinted  at  mv 
head,  not  10  feet  away,  I  think  I'm  not,  Btit  we'll  play 
that  I'm  brave  enough  to  have  this  intended  for  me.  and 
ril  open  it."' 

On  the  sheet  of  paper  inside  was  another  valorous  red- 
and-blue  Zouave  defending  the  flag  with  drawn  sword. 

On  it  was  Avritten; 

"Bad  Ax.  T^'iseonsin. 
'■Janooaiy  the  lith,  1SG3. 

^'Braiv  Solier:  I  doant  know  who  you  air,  or  whair  you 
may  bee:  I  only  know  that  you  air  serving  your  country, 
and  that  is  enui  to  intitle  to  the  gratitude  and  affection 
of  every  man  and  woman  who  has  the  breath  of  patriot- 
ism in  their  bodies. 

''1  am  anxious  to  do  something  all  the  time,  very  little 
thought  it  may  be,  to  help  in  some  way  the  men  who  air 
fiting  the  awful  battles  for  me^  and  for  every  man  and 
woman  in  the  country. 

^'T  send  these  socks  now  as  my  latest  contribtition. 
They  aint  much,  but  I've  put  my  best  work  on  them, 
and  I  hoap  the}'  will  be  useful  and  comfortable  to  some 
good,  braiv  w.&xk^ 

^'How  good  you  may  be  I  doant  know,  but  you  air  sert- 
ingly  a  much  better  man  than  you  would  be  if  you  was 
not  fitins;  lor  the  Union,  I  hoap  you  air  a  regler.  con- 
sistent Christian.  Ide  prefer  you  to  be  a  5iethodist 
Episcopal,  but  any  church  is  much  better  than  none. 

'•Jle  be  glad  to  heer  that  you  have  received  these  things 
all  rite. 

^SinceieU'  your  friend  and  well-wisher, 

if'Jertisha  iHIen  Briggs.." 


834 


SI  KLEGG   AND  SHOKTY, 


Although  Shorty  was  little  inclined  to  any  form  of 
reading,  and  disliked  handwriting  about  as  much  as  he 
did  work  on  the  fortifications,  he  read  the  letter  over 
several  times^  until  he  had  every  word  in  it  and  every 
feature  of  the  labored,  cramped  penmanship  thoroughly 
imj^rinted  on  his  mind.  Then  he  held  it  off  at  arm's 
length  for  some  time,  and  studied  it  with  growing  admira- 
tion. It  seemed  to  him  the  most  wonderful  epistle  that 
ever  emanated  from  any  human  hand.  A  faint  scent  of 
roses  came  from  it  to  help  the  fascination. 

^ril  jest  bet  my  head  agin  a  big  red  apple,"  he  solilo- 
quized, ''the  woman  that  vrrit  that's  the  purtiest  girl  in 
the  State  o'  Wisconsin.  I'll  bet  there's  nothin'  in  In- 
jianny  to  hold  a  candle  to  her,  purty  as  Si  thinks  his 
Annabel  is.  And  smart — my!  Jest  look  at  that  letter. 
That  tells  it.  Every  word  spell  ad  correckly,  and  the 
grammar  away  up  in  G.  AnnabePs  a  mighty  nice  girl, 
and  purty,  too,  but  I've  noticed  she  makes  mistakes  in 
spelling,  and  her  grammar's  the  Wabash  kind— home- 
made." 

He  drew  down  his  eyebrows,  pursed  his  lips,  and  as- 
sumed a  s«^verely  critical  look  for  a  reperusal  of  the  let- 
ter and  jud^'ment  upon  it  according  to  the  highest  literary 
standards. 

"iS'o,  sir."  he  said,  ?vit!i  an  air  of  satisfaction,  "not  a 
blamed  mistake  in  it,  from  beginnin'  to  end.  Every  Avord 
spelled  jest  right,  the  grammar  straight  as  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments, every  t  crossed  and  i  dotted  aecordin'  to 
regulashuns  and  the  Constitushun  of  the  United  States. 
She  must  be  a  school-teacher,  and  yit  a  school-teacher 
couldn't  knit  sich  socks  as  them.  She's  a  lady,  every 
inch  of  her.  Religious,  too.  Belongs  to  the  Methodist 
Church.  Si's  father's  a  Baptist,  and  so's  my  folks,  but 
1  always  did  think  a  heap  o'  the  Methodists.   I  think 


SHORTY  ENTANGLED  DT  COERESPONTDENCE.     -  835 


tliey  have  a  little  nicer  girls  tlian  the  Baptists.  I  think 
I'd  like  to  marry  a  Methodist  wife.'' 

Then  he  blushed  vividly,  all  to  himself,  to  think  how 
fast  his  thoughts  had  traveled.  He  returned  to  the  let- 
ter, to  cover  his  confusion.  * 

''Bad  Ax,  Wis.  What  a  queer  name  for  a  place.  Xevei 
heard  of  it  before.  Wonder  where  in  time  it  is?  I'd  iil^e 
awfully  to  know.  There's  the  1st  and  21st  Wis.  in 
Ptousseau's  Division,  and  the  10th  Wis.  Battery  in  Pal- 
mer's Division.  I  might  go  over  there  and  ask  some  o' 
them.  !Mebbe  some  of  'em  are  right  from  there.  I'll  bai 
it's  a  mighty  nice  place." 

He  turned  to  the  signature  with  increased  interest, 

^^Jerusha  Ellen  Briggs.  Why,  the  name  itself  is  reg'Iar 
poetry.  Jerusha  is  awful  purty.  Your  Hollies  and  Sal- 
lies and  Emmies  can't  hold  a  candle  to  it.  And  Anna- 
bel—pshaw !  Ellen—- why  that's  my  mother's  name. 
Briggs?  I  knowed  some  Briggs es  once-^way-up,  awfully 
nice  people.  Seems  to  me  they  wtiz  Presbyterians, 
though,  and  I  always  thought  that  Presbyterians  wuz 
stuck-up,  but  they  wuzzent  stuck-up  a  mite.  I  wonder 
if  Miss  Jerusha  Ellen  Briggs — ^she  must  be  a  Miss— haint 
some  beau?  But  she  can't  have.  If  he  wuzzent  in  the 
army  she  wouldn't  have  him;  and  if  he  was  in  the  army 
she'd  be  sending  the  socks  to  him,  instead  of  to  whom  it 
may  concern." 

This  brilliant  bit  of  logic  disposed  of  a  sudden  fear 
which  had  been  clutching  at  his  heart.  It  tickled  him  so 
much  that  he  jumped  up,  slapped  his  breast,  and  grin- 
ned delightedly  and  triumphantly  at  the  whole  land- 
scape. 

"What's  pleasln'  you  so  mightly.  Shorty?"  asked  Si, 
who  had  just  come  up.  ''Got  a  new  system  for  beatin^ 
chuck-a-luck,  or  bin  promoted?" 

*^Xo;  nothin'l  Nothin's  hag^sned,"  said  Shortj  curtlj, 


SI   KLEGa   AND  SHORTY. 


as  he  hastily  shoved  the  letter  into  his  blouse  pocket. 
"Will  you  watch  them  beans  bilin'  while  I  go  down  to  the 
spring  and  git  some  water?" 

He  picked  up  the  camp-kettle  and  started.  He  wanted 
to  be  utterly  alone,  even  from  Si,  with  his  new-born 
thoughts.  He  did  not  go  directly  to  the  spring,  but  took 
another  way  to  a  clump  of  paivpaw  bushes,  which  would 
hide  him  from  the  observation  of  everyone.  There  he  sat 
dow^n,  pulled  out  the  letter  again,  and  read  it  over  care- 
fully, word  by  word. 

*'Wants  me  to  write  whether  I  got  the  socks,"  he  mused. 
"You  jest  bet  I  will.  I've  a  great  mind  to  ask  for  a  fur- 
lough to  go  up  to  Wisconsin,  and  find  out  Bad  Ax.  I 
wonder  how  fur  it  is.  I'll  go  over  to  the  Sutler's  and  git 
some  paper  and  envelopes,  and  write  to  her  this  very 
afternoon." 

He  carried  his  camp-kettle  back  to  the  house,  set  it 
down,  and  making  some  excuse,  set  oil  for  the  Sutler's 
shop. 

"Le'me  see  your  best  paper  and  envelopes,"  he  said  to 
the  pirate  who  had  license  to  fieece  the  volunteers. 

"Awfully  common  trash,"  said  Shorty,  looking  over 
tli6  assortment  disdainfully,  for  he  wanted  something 
superlatively  fine  for  his  letter.  "Why  don't  you  git 
something  fit  for  a  gentleman  to  vrite  to  a  lady  on? 
Something  with  gold  edges  on  the  paper  and  envelopes, 
and  perfumed?  I  never  wrii©  co  a  lady  except  on  gilt- 
edged  paper,  smellin'  o'  bergamot,  and  musk,  and  citro- 
nella,  and  them  things.    I  don't  think  it's  good  taste." 

"Well,  think  what  you  please,"  said  the  Sutler.  "That's 
all  the  kind  I  have,  and  that's  all  the  kind  you'll  git. 
Take  it  or  leave  it." 

Shorty  finally  selected  a  quire  of  heavy  letter  paper 
and  a  bunch  of  envelopes,  both  emblazoned  with  patri- 
otic and  warlike  designs  in  brilliant  red  and  blue. 


SHORTY  ENTANGLED  IN  CORRESi'aNDENCE. 


337 


"Better  take  enough lie  said  to  himself.    "Pre  been 
Iiandlin'  a  pick  and  shovel  and  gun  so  mueh  that  Fm 
af eared  my  hand  isn't  as  light  as  it  used  to  be,  and 
have  to  spile  several  sheets  before  I  git  it  jest  right.* 

On  his  way  back  he  decided  to  go  by  the  camp  of  one 
e>f  the  Wisconsin  regiments  and  learn  what  he  could  of 
Bad  Ax  and  its  people. 

"Is  there  a  town  in  your  State  called  Bad  Ax?"  he 
asked  of  the  first  man  he  met  with  "Wis."  on  his  cap. 

"CertV  was  the  answer.  "And  another  one  called 
Milwaukee,  one  called  Madison,  and  another  called  Green 
Bay.  Are  you  studying  primary  geography,  or  just  get- 
ting up  a  post-office  directory?" 

"Don't  be  funny,  Skeezics,"  said  Shorty  severely. 
'^Know  anything  about  it?   Mighty  nice  place,  ain't  it?" 

"Know  anything  about  it?  I  should  say  so.  My  fol'ks 
live  in  Bad  Ax  County.  It's  the  toughest,  orneriest  little 
hole  in  the  State.  Eun  by  lead-miners.  More  whisky- 
shanties  than  dwellings.   It's  tough,  I  tell  you." 

"I  believe  you're  aa  infernal  liar,"  said  Shorty,  turning 
away  in  w^ath. 

Not  being  fit  for  duty,  he  could  devote  all  his  time  to 
the  composition  of  the  letter.  He  was  so  wrought  up 
Qver  it  that  he  could  not  eat  much  dinner,  which  alarmed 
Si. 

"What's  the  matter  with  your  appetite,  Shorty?'^ 
asked.    "Haint  bin  eatin'  nothin'  that  disagreed  with 
you,  have  you?" 

"Naw,"  answered  Shorty  impatiently;  "nothin'  wuss'r« 
army  rations^  They  always  disagree  with  me  when  I'm 
layin'  around  doin'  nothin'.  Why,  in  the  name  of 
goodness,  don't  the  army  move?  I've  got  sick  o'  the 
sight  o'  every  cedar  and  rocky  knob  in  Middle  Tennes- 
see. We  ought  to  go  down  and  take  a  look  at  things 
around  Tullahoma,  where  Mr.  Bragg  is.'* 


838  SI   KLEGG  AND  SHORTY. 

It  was  Si's  turn  to  clean  up  after  dinner,  and,  making 
an  excuse  of  going  over  into  another  camp  to  see  a  man 
who  had  arrived  there,  Shorty,  with  his  paper  and  en- 
velopes concealed  under  his  blouse,  and  Si's  pen  and 
wooden  ink-stand  furtively  conveyed  to  his  pocket, 
picked  up  the  checkerboard  when  Si's  back  was  turned, 
and  made  his  way  to  the  pawpaw  thicket,  where  he  could 
be  unseen  and  unmolested  in  the  greatest  literary  under- 
taking of  his  life. 

He  took  a  comfortable  seat  on  a  rock,  spread  the  paper 
on  the  checkerboard,  and  then  began  vigorously  chewing 
the  end  of  the  penholder  to  stimulate  his  thoughts. 

It  had  been  easy  to  form  the  determination  to  write; 
the  desire  to  do  so  was  irresistible,  but  never  before  had 
he  been  confronted  with  a  task  which  seemed  so  over- 
whelming. Compared  with  it,  struggling  with  a  mule- 
train  all  day  through  the  mud  and  rain,  working  with 
pick  and  shovel  on  the  fortifications,  charging  an  enemy's 
solid  line-oi-battle,  appeared  light  and  easy  performances. 
He  would  have  gone  at  either,  on  the  instant,  at  the 
word  of  command,  or  without  waiting  for  it,  with  entire 
confidence  in  his  ability  to  master  the  situation.  But 
to  write  a  half-dozen  lines  to  a  strange  girl,  whom  he  had 
already  enthroned  as  a  lovely  divinity,  had  more  terrors 
than  all  of  Bragg 's  army  could  induce. 

But  when  Shorty  set  that  somewhat  thick  head  of  his 
c^ptfn  the  doing  ei  a  thing,  the  thing  was  tolerably  cer- 
tain to  be  done  in  some  shape  or  another. 

**I  believe,  if  I  knowed  where  Bad  Ax  was,  I'd  git  a  fur- 
lough, and  walk  clean  there,  rather  than  write  a  line," 
he  said,  as  he  wiped  from  his  brow  the  sweat  forced  out 
by  the  labor  of  his  mind.  "I  always  did  hate  writin'. 
rd  rather  maul  rails  out  of  a  twisted  elm  log  any  da^ 
than  fill  up  a  copy  book.   But  it's  got  to  be  done,  and 


SHOETY  ENTANGLED  IN  COEEESPONDENOIL  339 


the  sooner  I  do  it  the  sooner  the  agony '11  be  over.  Here 
goes." 

He  began  laboriously  forming  each  letter  with  his  lips, 
and  still  more  laboriously  with  his  stiff  fingers,  adding 
one  to  another,  until  he  had  traced  out: 

"Headquarters  Co.  Q,  200th  Injianny  Volunteer  Infantiy„ 
Murfreesboro,  Aprile  the  16th  eighteen  hundred  &  sixty- 
three." 

The  sweat  stood  out  in  beads  upon  his  forehead  after 
this  effort,  but  it  was  as  nothing  compared  to  the  strain 
of  deciding  how  he  should  address  his  correspondent. 
He  wanted  to  use  some  term  of  fervent  admiration,  but 
fear  deterred  him.  He  debated  the  question  with  him- 
self until  his  head  fairly  ached^  when  he  settled  upon 
the  inoffensive  phrase : 

"Eespected  Lady." 

The  effort  was  so  exhausting  that  he  had  to  go  down  to 
the  spring,  talvc  a  deep  drink  of  cold  water,  and  bathe  his 
forehead.  But  his  determination  was  unabated,  and  be- 
fore the  sun  went  down  he  had  produced  the  following : 

*'i  talk  mi  pen  in  hand  2  inform  U  that  ive  reseeved  the 
SOX  U  so  kindly  cent,  &  i  thank  U  1,000  times  4  them. 
They  are  boss  sox  &  no  mistake.  They  are  the  bossest 
SOX  that  ever  wuz  nit.  The  man  is  a  lire  who  sez  they 
aint.  He  dassent  tel  Me  so.  U  are  a  boss  nittei.  Even 
Misses  Linkun  can't  hold  a  candle  2  U. 

'The  SOX  fit  me  2  a  t,  but  that  iz  becaws  they  are  nit  so 
wel,  &  stretch." 

"I  wish  I  knowed  some  more  real  strong  words  to  praise 
her  knitting,"  said  Shorty,  reading  over  the  laboriously- 
written  lines.  "But  after  I  have  said  they're  boss  what 
more  is  there  to  say?  I  spose  I  ought  to  say  something 
about  her  health  next.  That's  polite."  And  he  \vrote: 
*  "ime  in  fair  helth,  except  my  feet  are  locoed,  &  i  weigh 
176  gounds,  &  hope  U  are  injoyinp-  the  saim  blessing," 


840 


SI   KLEGG   Am>  SHOETY. 


"I  expect  I  ought  to  praise  lier  socks  a  little  more," 
said  he,  and  wrote : 

^The  SOX  are  jest  boss.  They  outrank  anything  in  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland." 

After  this  effort  he  was  compelled  to  take  a  lon£  rest. 
Then  he  communed  with  himself: 

"When  a  man's  writin'  to  a  lady,  and  especially  an 
educated  lady,  he  should  always  throw  in  a  little  poetry. 
It  touches  her." 

There  was  another  period  of  mtense  thought^  and  then 
he  wrote : 

"Dan  Elliot  is  my  name,  ' . 

&  single  is  my  station, 
Injianny  is  mi  dwelling  place, 
&  Christ  is  mi  salvation."  * 
"Now,"  iie  said  triumphantly,  "that's  neat  and  effect- 
ive.  It:  tells  her  a  whole  lot  about  me,  and  makes  her 
think  I  know  Shakspere  by  heart.    Wonder  if  I  can't 
Jhink  o'  some  more?  Hum— hum,   Yes,  here  goes: 
"The  rose  is  red,  the  vilet's  blue ; 
ime  4  the  Union^  so  ara  y." 
Shorty  was  so  tickled  over  this  happy  conceit  that  ne 
fairly  hugged  himself,  and  had  to  read  it  over  several 
times  to  admire  its  beauty.    But  it  left  him  too  ex- 
hausted for  any  further  mental  labor  than  to  close  up 
with : 

*No  moar  at  gresent,  from  ^onrs  til  death* 

"Dan  Elliott,  . 
"Co.  Q,  200th  Injianny  Volunteer  Infantry." 
He  folded  up  the  missive,  j^ut  it  into  an  envelope,  care- 
fully directed  to  Miss  Jerusha  Ellen  Briggs,  Bad  Ax,  Wia., 
and  after  depositing  it  in  the  box  at  the  Chaplain's  tent, 
plodded  homeward,  feeling  more  tired  than  after  a  day's 
digging  on  the  fortifications."^  Yet  his  fatigue  was  ill  lami- 
nated by  the  siiiimnering  H^hyt  of  a  fasconatia^  ho^e*  J. 


FEIENDLY  COMMERCE  WITH  REBEL  PICKETS. 


S41 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

SI  AXD  SHORTY  HAVE  SOME  FRIENDLY  COMMERCE  WITH  THE 
REBEL  PICKETS, 

The  200tli  Ind.  Volunteer  Infantry  Iiad  been  pushed  out 
to  \vatch  the  crossings  of  Duck  River  and  the  movements 
of  the  rebels  on  the  south  bank  of  that  narrow  str.?am. 
The  rebels,  vho  had  fallen  into  the  incurable  habit  of 
objecting  to  everything  that  the  "Yankees"  did,  seemed 
to  have  especial  and  vindictive  repugnance  to  being 
watched. 

Probably  no  man,  except  he  be  an  actor  or  a  politician, 
likes  to  be  Vv^atched,  but  few  ever  showed  themselves  as 
spitefully  resentful  of  observation  as  the  rebels. 

Co.  Q  was  advanced  to  picket  the  north  bank  of  the 
river,  but  the  moment  it  reached  the  top  of  the  hill  over- 
looking the  stream  it  had  to  deploy  as  skirmishers,  and 
Enfield  bullets  began  to  sing  viciously  about  its  ears. 

"Looks  as  if  them  fellers  think  we  want  to  steal  thei^ 
old  river  and  send  it  North,"  said  Shorty,  as  he  reloadexi 
his  gun  after  firing  at  a  puff  of  smoke  that  had  come  out 
of  the  sumach  bushes  along  th^  fence  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill.  "They  needn't  be  so  grouty.  We  don't  want  theii 
yiyer._only  to  use  it  awhile.  They  kin  have  it  back  agip 
after  we're  through  with  it." 

"Blamed  if  that  feller  didn't  make  a  good  line  shot/' 
said  Si,  glancing  up  just  above  his  head  to  where  a  t-r:^ 
had  been  clipped  off  the  persimmon  tree  behind  ^^-hich  he 
was  standing.  "He  put  up  his  sights  a  little  too  fur,  or 
he'd  'a'  got  me." 

Si  toolc  careful  aim  at  where  he  supposed  the  lurking 
marksman  to  be  and  fired. 


M2  SI   KLEGG    AND  SHORTY 

There  was  a  waving  of  the  tups  of  the  bushes,  as  if  the 
men  concealed  there  had  rushed  out. 

"Guess  we  both  landed  mighty  close,"  said  Shorty- 
triumph  antly.  "They  seem  to  have  lost  interest  in  this 
piece  o'  sidehill,  anyway." 

He  and  Si  made  a  rush  down  the  hill,  and  gained  the 
covert  of  the  fence  just  in  time  to  see  the  rails  splintered 
by  a  bunch  of  shots  striking  them. 

"Lay  down,  Yanks!"  called  out  Shorty  cheerily,  drop- 
ping into  the  weeds.    "Grab  a  root!" 

To  the  right  of  them  they  could  see  the  rest  of  Co.  Q 
going  through  similar  performances. 

5i  and  Shorty  pushed  the  w^eeds  aside,  crawled  cauti- 
ously to  the  fence,  and  looked  through.  There  was  a 
road  on  the  other  side  of  the  fence,  and  beyond  it  a  grove 
of  large  beech  trees  extending  to  the  bank  of  the  river. 
Half  concealed  by  the  trunk  of  one  of  these  stood  a  tall, 
rather  good-looking  young  man,  with  his  gun  raised  and 
intently  peering  into  the  bushes.  He  had  seen  the  tops 
stir,  and  knew  that  his  enemies  had  gained  their  cover. 
He  seemed  expecting  that  they  would  climb  the  fence 
and  jump  down  into  the  road.  At  a  little  distance  to  his 
fjgnt  could  be  seen  other  men  on  the  sharp  lookout. 

Shorty  put  his  hand  on  Si  to  caution  and  repress  him. 

With  his  eyes  fixed  on  the  rebel.  Shorty  drew  his  gun 
toward  him.  The  hammer  caught  on  a  trailing  vine, 
and,  forgetting  himself,  he  gave  it  an  impatient  jerk.  It 
went  off,  the  bullet  whistling  past  Shorty's  head  and  the 
powder  burning  his  face. 

The  rebel  instantly  fired  in  return,  and  cut  the  leaves 
about  four  feet  above  Shorty. 

"Purty  good  shot  that,  Johnny,"  called  out  Shorty  as 
he  reloaded  his  gun;  "but  too  low.  It  went  between  my 
^egs.   You  haint  no  idee  how  tall  I  am." 

"If  I  couldn't  shoot  no  better'n  you  kin  on  a  sneak/* 


FRIENDLY  CO^IMEECE  WITH  EEBEL  PICKET3.  343 


answered  the  rebel,  his  rammer  ringing  in  his  gun-barrel, 
"1  wouldn't  handle  firearms.  Your  bullet  went  a  mile 
over  my  head.  Must've  bin  shootin'  at  an-  angeL  But 
you  Yanks  can't  shoot  nary  bit — you're  too  sheered."   ... . 

"1  made  you  hump  out  o'  the  bushes  a  few  minutes 
ago.-'  replied  Shorty,  putting  on  a  caD.  "lYho  was  sheered 
then?  You  struck  for  tall  timber  like  a  cotton-tailed 
rabbit." 

"I'll  rabbit  ye,  ye  nigger-lovin'  whelp/'  shouted  the 
rebel.  "Take  that/'  and  he  fired  as  close  as  he  could  to 
the  sound  of  Shorty's  voice. 

Shorty  had  tried  to  anticipate  his  motion  and  fired 
first,  btit  the  limbs  bothered  his  aim,  and  his  bullet 
went  a  foot  to  the  right  of  the  rebel's  head.  It  was  close 
enough,  however,  to  make  the  rebel  cover  himself  care- 
fully with  the  tree.  ,  ^ 

"That  was  a  much  better  shot,  Yank,"  he  called  out. 
"But  ye  orter  do  a  powerful  sight  better'n  that  on  a 
sneak.  Ye'd  never  kill  no  deer,  nor  rebels  nuther,  with 
that  kind  o'  sliootin'.  You  Yanks  are  great  on  the  sneak, 
but  that's  all  the  good  it  does  yet  ye  can't  shoot  fer  a 
handfull  o'  huckleberries." 

"Sneaks!  Can't  shoot  I"  roared  Shorty.  ^'1  kin  out- 
shoot  vou  or  any  other  man  in  Jeff  Davis's  kingdom.  I 
dare  vou  to  come  out  from  behind  your  tree,  and  take  a 
shot  with  me  in  the  open,  according  to  Hardee's  tactics. 
Your  gun's  empty;  so's  mine.  My  chum  lierel]  see  fai.T 
play;  and  you  kin  bring  your  chum  with  you.  Comt?  aur> 
vou  skulkin'  brindle  pup,  and  shoot  man-fashion,  if  you 
dare." 

"Ye  can't  dare  me,  ye  uigger-stealin'  blue-belly," 
shouted  the  rebel  in  return,  coming  out  from  behind  his 
tree.  Shorty  climbed  over  the  fence  and  stood  at  the 
edge  of  the  road,  with  his  gun  at  order  arms.  Si  came 
gut  on  Shorty's  left,  and  a  rebel  appeared  to  the  right  of 


S44 


m  ELEGG  im>  6H0BT7. 


the  first.  For  a  minute  all  stood  in  expectancy.  Then 

Shorty  spoke: 

"I  want  mothin'  but  what's  fair.  Your  gun's  empty; 
so's  miuQ,  You  probably  know  Hardee's  tactics  as  well 
as  I  do." 

^'m  ug  in  Hardee,"  said  the  rebel  with  a  firm  voice. 


THE  DUEL. 


'*Well,  then,"  6o»iinued  Shorty,  "let  my  chum  here  call 
off  the  orders  for  loadin'  and  firin',  and  we'll  both  go 
through  'em,  and  shoot  at  the  word.'' 

"Go  ahead— I'm  agreed,"  said  the  rebel  briefly 

Shorty  nodded  to  Si. 


FEIENBLY  COmiERCE  WITH  REBEL  PICKETSc  S45 


"Carry  arms,"  commanded  Si.  . 

Both  brought  their  guns  ug  to  their  right  sides.] 

'Tresent  arms." 

Both  courteously  saluted. 

*Toad  in  nine  times — Load,"  ordered  SI. 

Both  guns  came  down  at  the  same  instant,  each  man 
grasped  his  muzzle  with  his  left  hand,  and  reached  for 
his  cartridge-box,  awaiting  the  next  ord^. 

^^andle  cartridges," 

*'Tear  cartridges," 

"Charge  cartridges,"  repeated  Si  slowly  and  distinctly. 
The  rebel's  second  nodded  approval  of  his  knowledge  of 
the  drill,  and  sang  out,  ■ 

'^Good  soldiers,  all  of  yo'uns."  .  • 

"Draw  rammer,"  continued  Si* 

"Turn  rammer," 

"Ram  cartridge."  ^ 

Shorty  punctiliously  executed  the  three  blows  oJi  the 
cartridge  exacted  by  the  regulations,  and  paused  a 
breath  for  the  next  word.  The  rebel  had  sent  his  car- 
tridge home  with  one  strong  thrust,  but  he  saw  his  op- 
ponent's act  and  waited. 

"Return  rammer,"  commanded  Si.  He  was  getting  a 
little  nervous,  but  Shorty  deliberately  withdrew  his  ram- 
rod, turned  it,  placed  one  end  in  the  thimbles,  deliberatelj 
covered  the  head  with  his  little  finger,  exactly  as  m'e 
tactics  prescribed,  and  sent  it  home  with  a  single  move- 
ment. The  rebel  had  a  little  trouble  in  returning  ram- 
mer, and  Shorty  and  Si  waited.  . 

^^Cast  about," 

"Prime!" 

Both  men  capped  at  the  same  instant* 
"Ready r 


346 


SI   KLEGG    AND  SHORTY. 


Shorty  cocked  his  piece  and    glanced  at  the  rebel, 
whose  gun  was  at  his  side.  ^ 
"Aiml" 

Both  guns  came  up  like  a  flash. 

Si's  heart  began  thumping  at  a  terrible  rate.  lie  was 
far  more  alarmed  about  Shorty  than  he  had  ever  been 
about  himself.  Up  to  this  moment  he  had  hoped  that 
Shorty's  coolness  and  deliberation  would  "rattle"  the 
rebel  and  make  him  fire  wildly.  But  the  latter,  as  Si 
expressed  it  afterward,  "seemed  to  be  made  of  mighty  good 
stuff/'  and  it  looked  as  if  both  woul/  be  shot  down. 

"Fire!"  shouted  Si,  with  a  perceptible  tremor  in  his 
roico. 

Both  guns  flashed  at  the  same  instant.  Si  saw 
Shorty's  cap  fly  off,  and  him  stagger  and  fall,  while  the 
rebel  dropped  his  gun,  aild  clapped  his  hand  to  his  side. 
Si  ran  toward  Shorty,  who  instantly  sprang  up  again,  rub- 
bing his  head,  from  which  came  a  faint  trickle  of  blood. 

"He  aimed  at  my  head,  and  h^sl  scraped  my  scalp," 
he  said.  "Where'd  I  hit  him?  I  aimed  at  his  heart,  and 
had  a  good  bead." 

"You  seem  to'ye  struck  him  in  the  side,"  answered  Si?  . 
looking  at  the  rebel.     "But  not  badly,  for  he's  stiii 
standih'  up.    Mebbe  you  hi&isie  a  rib  though." 

"Couldn't,  if  he's  still  up.  I  must  file  my  trigger.  Gun 
pulls  too  hard.  I  had  a  dead  aim  on  his  heart,  but  I 
seem  to'v^e  pulled  too  much  to  the  right," 

"Say,  I'll  take  4,  turn  with  you,"  said  Si,  picking  up 
his  gun  and  motioning  with  his  left  hand  at  the  other 

''All  right,"  answered  the  other  promptly.  "My  gun 
ain't  loaded,  though." 

"I'll  wait  for  you,"  said  Si,  looking  at  the  cap  on  his 
gun.  A  loud  cheer  was  heard  from  far  to  the  right,  and 
Co.  Q  was  seen  coming  forward  on  a  rush,  with  the  rebels 


FEIEXDLY  COMMEECE  WITH  REBEL  PICKETS. 


847 


m  front  running  back  to  tlie  river  bank.  Several  were 
seen  to  be  overtaken  and  forced  to  surrender. 

The  two  rebels  in  front  of  tlie  boys  gave  a  startled  look 
at  their  comrades,  then  at  the  boys,  and  turned  to  run. 
Si  raised  his  gun  to  order  them  to  halt. 

"No,"  said  Shorty.  ''Let  'em  go.  It  was  a  fair  bargain, 
and  I'll  stick  to  it.  Skip  out,  Johnnies,  for  every  cent 
you're  worth." 

The  rebels  did  not  wait  for  the  conclusion  of  the  sen- 
tence, but  followed  their  comrades  with  alacrity. 

The  boj'S  ran  forward  through  the  woods  to  the  edge  of 
the  bank,  and  saw  their  opponents  climbing  up  the  op- 
posite bank  and  getting  behind  the  sheltering  trees.  Si 
waited  till  his  particular  one  got  good  shelter  behind  u 
large  sycamore,  and  then  sent  a  bullet  that  eut  closely 
above  his  head. 

This  was  the  signal  for  a  general  and  spiteful  fusilade 
from  both  sides  of  the  river  and  all  along  the  line.  The 
rebels  banged  away  as  if  in  red-hot  wrath  at  being  run 
across  the  stream,  and  Co.  Q  retorted  with  such  earnest- 
ness that  another  company  was  sent  forward  to  its  as* 
sistance,  but  returned  when  the  Irish  Lieutenant,  who 
had  gone  forward  to  investigate,  reported: 

"Faith,  it's  loilve  the  divdl  shearing  a  hog— all  cry  smd 
no  wool  at  all." 

So  it  was.  Both  sides  found  complete  shelter  behind 
the  giant  trunks  of  the  trees,  and  each  fired  at  insig* 
nificant  portions  of  the  anatomy  allowed  to  momentarily 
protrude  beyond  the  impenetrable  boles 

After  this  had  gone  on  for  about  half  an  hour  thos^ 
across  the  river  from  Si  and  Shorty  called  out: 

"Say,  Yanks,  ye  can't  shoot  down  a  beech  tree  with  h 
Springfield  musket,  nohow  ye  kin  do  hit.  If  we'uns  haiut 
killin'  more  o'  yo'uns  than  yo'uns  is  a-killin'  o'  we'uns, 
we'uns  air  both  wastin'  a  powerful  lot  o'  powder  an'  lead 


348  61  KLEGG   AND  SHOETY. 

and  good  sliootin'.  What  d'  jo'uns  say  to  Kings'  excuse 
for  awhile?" 

"We're  agreed,"  said  Si  promptly,  stepping  from  be- 
hind the  tree,  and  leaving  his  gun  standing  against  it. 


THE  OVERTURE  FOR  TRADE. 


"Hit's  a  go,"  responded  the  rebels,  coming  out  dis- 
armed. "We'uns  won't  shoot  no  more  till  ordered,  an' 
then'il  gire  yo'uns  warnin'  fust." 

rigiit;  we^ii  give  you  warning  before  we  shoot," 
coiiieided  Si. 

"Say,  have  yo'uns  got  any  Yankee  coffee  that  you'll 
trade  for  a  good  plug  o'  terbacker?"  inquired  the  man 
whom  Si  had  regarded  as  his  paiticulai'  staxUiffomsU  . 


FRIE^TDLY  OOmrERCg  WITH  REBEL  PICKETS. 


349 


"Yes,"  aiiSAvered  Si.  "We've  got  a  little.  We^l  give  you 
a  cupfal  for  a  long  plug  with  none  cut  off." 

"What  kind  of  a  cupful?"  asked  the  bartering  "Johnny." 

"A  good,  big,  honest  cupful.  One  o'  this  Idnd,"  said 
Si,  showing  his. 

"All  right.  Hit's  to  be  strike  measure,"  said  the  rebeL 
"Here's  the  plug,"  and  he  held  up  a  long  plug  of  "natural 
leaf." 

*^0.  E:.,"  responded  Si.    "Meet  me  half-way." 

The  truce  had  quickly  extended,  and  the  firing  sus- 
pended all  along  the  line  of  Co.  Q.  The  men  came  out 
from  behind  their  trees,  and  sat  down  on  the  banks  in 
open  view  of  one  another. 

Si  filled  his  cup  "heaping-full"  with  coffee,  cKmbed 
down  the  bank  and  waded  out  into  the  middle  of  the 
water.  The  rebel  met  him  there,  while  his  companion 
and  Shorty  stood  on  the  banks  above  and  watched  the 
trade. 

"Y're  givin'  me  honest  measure,  Yank,"  said  the  rebel, 
looking  at  the  cup.  "Now,  if  ye  haint  filled  the  bottom 
o'  yer  cup  with  coffee  that's  bin  biled  before,  I'll  say  y^re 
all  right.  Some  o'  yo'uns  air  so  dog-gasted  smart  that 
T?'  poke  off  on  we'uns  coffee  that's  bin  already  biled, 
and  swindle  we'uns." 

"Turn  it  out  and  see,"  said  Si. 

The  rebel  emptied  the  cup  into  a  little  bag,  carefully 
scrutinizing  the  stream  as  it  ran  in.  It  was  aU  fine, 
fragrant,  roasted  and  ground  coffee. 

"Lord,  thar's  enough  t'  last  me  a  month  witli  keer^"* 
said  the  -  rebel,  gazing  unctuously  at  the  riek  brown 
grains.  "I  won't  use  more'n  a  spoonful  a  day,  an' 
hit  over  twice.  Yank,  here's  yer  terbacker.  I've  made 
a  good  trade.  Here's  a  Chattanooga  paper  I'll  throw  in 
to  boot.  Got  a  Northern  paper  about  ye  anywhar?" 
1^  Si  produced  a  somewhat  frayed  Cincinnati  Gazette. 


850 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTZt 


'I  cauH  read  myself,"  said  the  rebel,  as  he  tucked  the 
paper  away.  "Never  I'arned  to.  Pap  wuz  agin  hit.  Said 
hit  made  men  lazy.  He  got  erlong  without  readin',  and 
raised  the  biggest  fambly  on  Possum  Crick.  But  thar's 
a  feller  in  my  mess  kin  read  everything  but  the  big 
words,  and  I  like  t'  git  a  paper  for  him  to  read  to  the  rest 
o'  we'uns." 

"Was  your  partner  badly  hurt  by  mine's  shot?"  asked 
Si. 

"iS^o.  The  bullet  jest  scraped  the  bone.  He'll  be 
likely  to  have  a  stitch  in  his  side  for  awhile,  but  he's  a 
very  peart  man,  and  won't  mind  that.  I'm  s 'prised  he 
didn't  lay  your  partner  out.  He's  the  best  shot  in  our 
company." 

"Well,  he  was  buckin  agin  a  mighty  good  shot,  and  I'm 
surprised  your  partner's  alive.  I  wouldn't 've  given  three 
cents  for  him  when  Shorty  drawed  down  on  him;  but 
Shorty's  bin  off  duty  for  awhile,  and  his  gun's  not  in  the 
best  order.  Howsumever,  I'm  awful  glad  that  it  come 
out  as  it  did.    His  life's  worth  a  dozen  rebels." 

"The  blazes  you  say.  I'd  have  you  know,  Yank,  that 
one  Conferderit  is  wuth  a  whole  rijimint  o'  Lincoln  hire- 
lings. I'll"  

"0,  come  off — come  off — that's  more  o'  your  old  five- 
to-one  gas,"  said  Si  irritatingly.  "I  thought  we'd  wal- 
loped that  dumbed  nonsejfise  out  o'  your  heads  long  ago. 
We've  showed  right  along  that,  man  for  man,  we're  a 
feight  better'n  you.  We've  always  licked  you  when  we've 
had  anything  like  a  fair  show.  At  Stone  Eiver  you  had 
easy  two  men  to  our  one,  and  yit  we  got  away  with  you." 

"'Taint  so.  It's  a  lie.  If  hit  wuzzent  for  the  Dutch 
and  Irish  you  hire,  you  couldn't  fight  we'uns  at  all." 

"Look  here,  reb,"  said  Si,  getting  hot  around  the  ears, 
•I'm  neither  a  Dutchman  nor  an  Irishman;  we  haint  a 


FEIENDLY  CO:\niERCE  WITH  REBEL  PICKETS.  Sf>l 

half  dozen  in  our  company.  I'm  a  better  man  tlian 
youVe  got  in  your  regiment.  Either  me  or  Shorty  kin 
lick  any  man  you  put  up,  Co.  Q  kin  lick  your  company 
single-handed  and  easy,  the  200th  Injianny  kin  lick  any 
regiment  in  the  rebel  army.  To  prove  it,  I  kin  lick  you 
right  here."  ^ — 


tnrust  tne  plug  of  tobacco  into  his  blouse  pocket 
and  began  rolling  up  his  sleeves. 

The  rebel  did  not  seem  at  all  averse  to  the  trial  ^nd 
squared  off  at  hiiu.  Then  Shorty  saw  the  belligerent  at- 
titude and  yelled : 

''Come,  Si.  Don't  fight  there.  That's  no  place.  If 
you're  goin'  to  ii^ht,  come  up  on  level  ground,  where  it 


352 


BI  KLEGG  AND  SHOETY. 


kin  be  fair  and  square.  Come  up  here,  or  we'll  go  over 
tkere." 

"0,  come  off,"  shouted  the  rebel  on  the  other  side. 
"Don't  be  a  fool,  Bill.  Fis't-foutin'  don't  settle  nothin'. 
Come  baick  here  and  git  your  gun  if  ye  want  to  fout.  But 
don^t  le's  fout  no  more  to-day.  Thar's  plenty  of  it  for 
ter-morrer.  Le's  keep  quiet  and  peaceful  now.  I  want 
powerfully  to  take  a  swim.    Air  you  fellers  agreed?" 

"Yes;  yes,"  shouted  Shorty.  "You  fellers  keep  to  your 
side  o'  the  river,  and  we  will  to  ours." 

The  agreement  was  carried  into  instantaneous  effect, 
and  soon  both  sides  of  the  stream  were  filled  with 
laughing,  romping,  splashing  men. 

There  was  something  very  exhilarating  in  the  cool, 
clear,  mountain  water  of  the  stream.  The  boys  got  to 
wrestling,  and  Si  came  off  victorious  in  two  or  three  bouts 
with  his  comrades. 

"Cock-a-doodle-doo,"  he  shouted,  imitating  the  crow  of 
a  rooster.    "I  k»in  duck  any  man  in  the  200th  Injianny." 

The  challenge  reached  the  ears  of  the  rebel  with  whom 
Si  had  traded..  He  was  not  satisfied  with  the  result  of 
his  conference. 

"You  kin  crow  over  your  fellers,  Yank,"  he  shouted; 
"but  you  xiassent  come  to  the  middle  an'  try  me  two 
falls  outeu  three." 

Si  immediately  made  toward  him.  They  surveyed  each 
other  warily  for  a  minute  to  get  the  advantages  of  the 
first  clinch,  when  a  yell  came  from  the  rebel  side: 

"Scatter,  Confedsl  Hunt  yer  holes,  Yanks  I  The 
Kunnel's  a-comin'." 

BHh  sides  ran  up  their  respective  banks,  snatched  up 
iheir  OL111.S.  took  their  places  behind  their  trees,  and 
opened  a  noisy  but  harmless  fire. 


SHORTY   GETS  A  LETTER. 


353 


CHAPTEE  XXXn. 

BHOETY  GETS  A  LETTER  FROM  BAD  AX,  WIS. 

Shorty  had  always  been  conspicuously  lacking  in  the 
general  interest  which  his  comrades  had  shown  in  the 
mails.  Probably  at  some  time  in  his  life  he  had  had  a 
home  like  the  rest  of  them,  but  for  some  reason  home 
now  played  no  part  in  his  thoughts.  The  enlistment  and 
muster-rolls  stated  that  he  was  born  in  Indiana,  but  he 
was  a  stranger  in  the  neighborhood  when  he  enrolled 
himself  in  Co.  Q. 

His  revelations  as  to  his  past  were  confined  to  memo- 
ries of  things  which  happened  "when  I  was  cuttin'  wood 
down  the  Mississippi/'  or  "when  I  was  runnin'  on  an 
Ohio  stern  wheel." 

lie  wrote  no  letters,  and  received  none.  And  when 
the  joyful  cry,  "Mail's  come,"  would  send  everybody  else 
in  the  regiment  on  the  run  to  the  Chaplain's  tent,  in 
eager  anticipation,  to  jostle  one  another  in  impatience, 
until  the  contents  of  the  mail -pouch  were  distributed, 
Shorty  would  remain  indifferent  in  his  tent,  without  an 
instant's  interruption  in  his  gun-cleaning,  mending,  or 
whatever  task  he  might  have  in  hand. 

A  change  came  over  him  after  he  sent  his  letter  to  Bad 
Ax,  Wis.  The  cry,  "Mail's  come,"  would  make  him 
start,  in  spite  of  himself,  and  before  he  could  think  to 
maintain  his  old  indifference.  He  was  ashamed,  lest  he 
betray  his  heart's  most  secret  thoughts. 

The  matter  of  the  secure  transmission  of  the  mails  be- 
tween camp  and  home  began  to  receive  his  earnest  atten- 
tion.   He  feared  that  the  authorities  were  not  taking 


354 


SI  KLEGG  AND  SHORTY. 


sufficient  precautions.  The  report  that  John  Morgan^s 
guerrillas  had  captured  a  train  betAveen  Louisville  and 
Nashville,  rifled  the  mail-car,  and  carried  off  the  letters, 
filled  him  with  burning  indignation,  both  against  Morgan 
and  his  band  and  the  Generals  who  had  not  long  ago 
exterminated  that  pestiferous  croAvd. 

He  had  some  severe  strictures  on  the  slovenly  way  in 
which  the  mail  was  distributed  from  the  Division  and 
Brigade  Headquarters  to  the  regiments.  It  was  a  matter, 
he  said,  which  could  not  be  done  too  carefully.  It  was  a 
great  deal  more  important  than  the  distribution  of  ra- 
tions. A  man  w^ould  much  rather  lose  several  days' 
rations  than  a  letter  from  home.  He  could  manage  ih 
some  way  t.o  get  enough  to  live  on,  but  nothing  Avould  re- 
place a  lost  better. 

Theu,  he  w-ould  have  fits  of  silent  musing,  sometimes 
when  alone,  sometimes  when  with  Si  in  the  company, 
over  thjB  personality  of  the  fair  stocking-knitter  of  Wis- 
consin and  .the  letter  he  had  sent  her.  He  Avould  try  to 
recall  the  exact  wording  of  each  sentence  he  had  labori- 
ously penned,  and  wonder  how  it  imi^ressed  her,  think 
how  it  might  have  been  improved,  and  blame  himself  for 
not  having  been  more  outspoken  in  his  desire  to  hear 
from  her  again.  He  would  steal  off  into  the  brush,  j)ull 
out  the  socks  and  letter,  which  he  kept  carefully  wrap- 
ped up  in  a  sheet  of  the  heavy  letter  paper,  and  read 
over  the  letter  carefully  again,  although  he  knew  evci-y 
word  of  it  by  heart.    These  fits  alarmed  Si. 

"I'm  af eared,"  he  confided  to  some  cronies,  "that  rebel 
bullet  hurt  Shorty  more-n  he'll  let  on.  He's  not  actin' 
like  his  self  at  times.  That  bullet  scraped  so  near  his 
thinkery  that  it  may  have  addled  it.  It  was  an  awful 
close  shave." 

"Better  talk  to  the  Surgeon,"  said  they.  "Glancinof 
bullets  sometimes  hurt  worse'n  thev  seem  to." 


SHORTY    GETS   A  LETTER 


355 


^^o,  the  bullet  didn't  hurt  Shorty,  any  more  than  make 
a  scratch,"  said  the  Surgeon  cheerfully  when  Si  laid  the 
case  before  him.  "1  examined  him  carefully.  That  fel- 
low's head  is  so  hard  that  no  mere  scraping  is  goins'  to 
affect  it.  You'd  have  to  bore  straight  through  it,  and  I'd 
want  at  least  a  six-pounder  to  do  it  with  if  I  was  going  to 
undertake  the  job.  An  Indiana  head  may  not  be  partic- 
ularly fine,  but  it  is  sure  to  be  awfully  solid  and  tough. 
No;  his  system's  likely  to  be  out  of  order.  You  rapscal- 
lions Avill  take  no  care  of  yourselves,  in  spite  of  all  that  I 
can  say,  but  will  eat  and  drink  as  if  you  were  ostriches. 
He's  probably  a  little  off  his  feed,  and  a  good  dose  of 
bluemass  followed  up  with  quinine  will  bring  him  around 
all  right.    Here,  take  these,  and  give  them  to  him  " 

The  Surgeon  was  famous  for  prescribing  blueiytass  and 
quinine  for  every  ailment  presented  to  him,  from  sore 
feet  to  ''shell  fever."  Si  received  the  medicines  with  a 
proper  show  of  thankfulness,  saluted,  and  left.  As  he 
passed  through  the  clump  of  bushes  he  was  tempted  to 
add  them  to  the  collection  of  little  white  papers  which 
marked  the  trail  from  the  Surgeon's  tent,  but  solicitude 
for  his  comrade  restrained  him.  The  Surgeon  was  prob- 
ably right,  and  it  was  Si's  duty  to  do  all  that  he  could 
to  bring  Shorty  around  again  to  his  normal  condition. 
But  how  in  the  world  was  he  going  to  get  his  partner  to 
take  the  medicine?  Shorty  had  the  resolute  antipathy  to 
drugs  common  to  all  healthy  men. 

It  was  so  grave  a  problem  that  Si  sat  down  on  a  log  to 
think  about  it.  As  was  Si's  way,  the  more  he  thought 
about  it,  the  more  determined  he  became  to  do  it,  and 
when  Si  Klegg  deteirmined  to  do  a  thing,  that  thing  was 
pretty  nearly  as  good  as  done. 

'T  kin  git  him  to  take  the  quinine  easy  enough,"  he 
mused.    "All  I've  got  to  do  is  to  put  it  in  a  bottle 
whisky,  and  he'd  drink  it  if  there  wuz  40  doses  o'  quinine 


S56 


fil   KLEGG   AND  SHOETY. 


in  it.  But  the  bluemass's  a  very  different  thing.  He's 
got  to  smaller  it  in  a  lump,  and  wliat  in  the  world  kin  I 
put  it  in  that  he'll  swaller  whole?" 

Si  wandered  over  to  the  Sutler's  in  hopes  of  seeing 
something  there  that  would  help  him.  He  was  about 
despairing  when  he  noticed  a  boy  open  a  can  of  large, 
yellow  peaches. 

'The  very  thing,"  said  Si,  slap^nng  his  thigh.  "Say 
you  man,  gi'  me  a  can  o'  j)eaches  jest  like  them." 

Si  took  his  can  and  carefully  approached  his  tent,  that 
he  might  decide  upon  his  plan  before  Shorty  could  see 
him  and  his  load.  He  discovered  that  Shorty  was  sitting 
at  a  little  distance,  with  his  back  to  him,  cleaning  his 
gun,  which  he  had  taken  apart. 

"Bully,"  thought  Si.  "Just  the  thing.  His  hands  are 
dirty  and  greasy,  and  he  won't  want  to  tech  anything  to 
eat." 

He  slipped  into  the  tent,  cut  open  the  can,  took  out  a 
large  peach  with  a  spoon,  laid  the  pellet  of  blue  mass  ill 
it,  laid  another  slice  of  peach  upon  it,  and  then  came 
around  in  front  of  Shorty,  holding  out  the  spoon. 

*'Open  your  mouth  and  shut  your  eyes.  Shorty,"  he 
said.  "I  saw  some  o'  the  nicest  canned  peaches  down  at 
the  Sutler's,  and  I  suddenly  got  hungry  for  some.  I 
bought  a  can  and  brung  ^em  up  to  the  tent.  Jest  try 
'em." 

He  stuck  the  spoon  out  towards  Shorty's  mouth.  The 
latter,  with  his  gunlock  in  one  hand  and  a  greasy  rag  in 
the  other,  looked  at  the  tempting  morsel,  opened  hi;s 
mouth,  and  the  deed  was  done. 

"Must've  left  the  stone  in  that  peach,"  he  said,  as  he 
gulped  it  down. 

"Mebbe  so,"  said  Si,  with  a  guilty  flush,  and  pretend- 
ing to  examine  the  others.  "But  1  don't  fuid  none  in  the 
rest.   Have  another?'* 


SHOETY    GETS    A  LETTEE. 


857 


Sliorfy  swallowed  two  or  tliree  spoonfuls  more,  and 
then  gasped: 

''TlievTe  awful  nice,  Si,  but  I've  got  enougii.  Keeg 
tlie  rest  for  yourself.'' 

Si  went  back  to  tlie  tent  and  finished  the  can  with 
mingled  emotions  of  triumph  at  having  succeeded,  and  of 
contrition  at  glaring  a  trick  on  his  partner.    He  decided 


SI   GIVES   SHOETY  BLUEMISS. 

to  make  amends  for  the  latter  by  giving  Shorty  an  un- 
usually large  quantity  of  v^hisky  to  take  with  his  quinine. 

Si  was  generally  very  rigid  in  his  temperance  ideas. 
He  strongly  disapproved  of  Shorty's  drinking,  and  al- 
ways interposed  all  the  obstacles  he  could  in  the  way  of 
it.    But  this  was  an  extraordinary  case, — it  would  be 


358 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


"using  liquor  for  a  medicinal  purpose /'—and  his  con- 
science was  qiiieted. 

Co.  Q  had  one  of  those  men — to  be  found  in  every 
company— who  can  get  whisky  under  apparently  any- 
and  all  circum ->'ances.  In  every  company  there  is  al- 
ways one  m^in  who  seemingly  can  lind  something  to  get 
druiik  on  in  the  midst  of  the  Desert  of  Sahara.  To  Co. 
Q's  representative  of  this  class  Si  went,  and  was  piloted 
to  where,  after  solemn  assurances  against  "giving  away," 
he  procured  a  half-pint  of  fairly  good  applejcick,  into 
which  he  put  his  doses  of  quinine. 

In  the  middle  of  the  night  Shorty  woke  up  with  a  yell. 

"Great  Cesar's  ghost!"  he  howled,  "what's  the  matter 
with  me?  I'm  sicker'n  a  dog.  Must've  bin  them  dod- 
gasted  peaches.    Si,  don't  you  feel  nothiu'?" 

"No,"  said  Si  sheepishly;  "I'm  all  right.  Didn't  you 
eat  nothin'  else  but  them?" 

"Naw,"  said  Shorty  disgustedly.  "Nothin'  but  my 
usual  load  o'  hardtack  and  pork.  Yes,  I  chawed  a  piece 
o'  sassafras  root  that  one  of  the  boys  dug  up." 

"Must've  bin  the  sassafras  root,"  said  Si.  He  hated 
to  lie,  and  made  a  resolution  that  he  would  make  a  clean 
breast  to  Shorty — at  some  more  convenient  time.  It  was 
uot  opportune  now.  "That  must've  been  a  sockdologer 
of  a  dose  the  Surgeon  gave  me,"  he  muttered  to  himself. 

Shorty  continued  to  writhe  and  howl,  and  Si  made  a 
hypocritical  offer  of  going  for  the  Surgeon,  but  Shorty 
vetoed  that  emphatically. 

"No ;  blast  old  Sawbones,"  he  said.  He  won't  do  nothin' 
but  give  me  bluemass  and  quinine,  and  I  never  couid 
nor  would  take  bluemass.  It's  only  fit  for  horses  and 
hogs." 

Toward  morning  Shorty  grew  quite  weak,  and  corre- 
spondingly depressed. 


SHORTY    GETS    A  LETTER. 


359 


"Si,"  said  lie,  "I  may  not  git  over  this.  This  may  be 
the  breaki]!'  out  o'  the  cholera  that  the  folks  around  here 
say  comes  every  seven  3-ears  and  kills  off  the  strangers. 
Si,  ril  tell  you  a  secret.  A  letter  may  come  for  me.  If  I 
don't  git  over  this,  and  the  letter  comes,  I  want  you  to 
burn  it  up  without  reading  it,  and  write  a  letter  to  Miss 
Jerusha  Ellen  Briggs,  Bad  Ax,  Wis.,  tellin'  her  that  I 
died  like  a  man  and  a  soldier,  and  with  her  socks  on, 
defendin'  his  country." 

Si  whistled  softly  to  himself.  "I'll  do  it,  Shorty,"  he 
said,  and  repeated  the  address  to  make  sure. 

The  crisis  soon  passed,  however,  and  the  morning 
found  Shorty  bright  and  cheerful,  though  weak. 

Si  was  puzzled  how  to  get  the  whisky  to  Shorty.  It 
Vv'ould  never  do  to  let  hiui  know  that  he  had  gotten  it 
especially  for  hijii.  That  would  have  been  so  contrary  to 
Si's  past  as  to  arouse  suspicion.  He  finally  decided  to 
lay  it  wliere  it  would  seem  that  someone  passing  had 
dropped  it,  and  Shorty  could  not  help  finding  it.  The 
plan  worked  all  right.  Shorty  picked  it  up  in  a  few  min- 
utes after  Si  had  deposited  it,  and  made  quite  an  ado 
over  his  treasure  trove. 

"Splendid  appieiack/'  he  said,  tasting  it;  "little  bitter, 
but  that  probably  comes  from  their  using  dogwood  in  the 
fires  when  they're  'stillin'.  They  know  that  dogwood'll 
make  the  liquor  bitter,  but  they're  too  ail -fired  lazy  to  go 
after  any  other  kind  o'  wood." 

He  drank,  and  as  he  drank  his  spirits  rose.  After  the 
first  dram  he  thought  he  would  clean  around  the  tent, 
and  make  their  grounds  look  neater  than  anybody  else's. 
After  ihe  second  he  turned  his  attention  to  his  arms  and 
accouterments.  After  the  third  he  felt  like  going  out  on 
a  scout  and  finding  some  rebels,  to  vary  the  monotony  of 
the  camp-lifc.    After  the  fourth,  "Groundhog,"  unluckily 


S60 


BI  KLEGa  AND  SHORTY. 


for  himself,  came  along,  and  Shorty  remembered  that  he 
had  long  OAved  the  teamster  a  lickmg,  and  he  felt  that  the 
debt  should  not  be  allowed  to  run  any  longer.  He  ordered 
Groundhog  to  halt  and  receive  his  dues.  The  teamster 
demurred,  but  Shorty  was  obdurate,  and  began  prepara- 
tions to  put  his  intention  into  operation,  when  the  Orderly* 
Sergeant  came  down  through  the  company  street  dis- 
tributing mail. 


BHORTY  WANTS  TO  FIGHT  GEOUNDHOG. 


"Shorty,"  he  said,  entirely  ignoring  the  bellicosity  of 
the  scene,  "here's  a  letter  for  you." 

Shorty's  first  thought  was  to  look  at  the  postmark. 
Sure  enough,  it  was  Bad  Ax^  Wis.   Instantly  his  whole 


SHORTY  GETS  A  LETTER,      '  861 

demeanor  clianged.  Here  was  something  a  hundred 
times  more  important  than  licking  any  teamster  that 
ever  lived. 

"Git  out,  you  scab,"  he  said  contemptuously,  "I  haint 
no  time  to  fool  with  you  now.    You^ll  keep.   This  won't." 

Groundhog  mistook  the  cause  of  his  escape.  "0, 
you're  powerful  anxious  to  fight,  ain't  you,  till  you  find 
Fm  ready  for  you,  and  then  you  quile  down.  I'll  let  you 
know,  sir,  that  you  mustn't  give  me  no  more  o'  your 
sass.  I  won't  stand  it  from  you.  You  jest  keep  your 
mouth  shet  after  this,  if  you  know  when  you're  well  off." 

The  temptation  would  have  been  irresistible  to  Shorty 
at  any  other  time,  but  now  he  must  go  off  somewheres 
where  he  could  be  alone  with  his  letter,  and  to  the  amaze- 
ment of  all  the  spectators  he  made  no  reply  to  the  team- 
ster's gibes,  but  holding  the  precious  envelope  firmly  in 
his  hand,  strode  off  to  the  seclusion  of  a  neighboring 
laurel  thicket. 

His  first  thought,  as  he  sat  down  and  looked  the  en- 
velope over  again,  was  shame  that  it  had  come  to  him 
when  he  was  under  the  influence  of  drink.  He  re- 
membered the  writer's  fervent  Christianity,  and  it  seemed 
to  him  that  it  would  be  a  gross  breach  of  faith  for  him  to 
open  and  read  the  letter  while  the  fumes  of  whisky  were 
on  his  breath.  He  had  a  struggle  with  his  burning  de- 
sire to  see  the  inside  of  the  envelope,  but  he  conquered, 
and  put  the  letter  back  in  his  pocket  until  he  was  thor- 
oughly sober. 

But  he  knew  not  what  to  do  to  fill  up  the  time  till  he 
could  conscientiously  open  the  letter.  He  thought  of  go- 
ing back  and  fulfilling  his  long-delayed  purpose  of  thrash- 
ing Groundhog,  but  on  reflection  this  scarcely  com- 
mended itself  as  a  fitting  prelude. 

He  heard  voices  approaching— one  sympathetic  and 
encouraging,  the  other  weak,  £ain-breathing;  almost  de- 


362 


BI    KLEGG    AND  SHORTY. 


spairijig.  He  looked  out  ancr  saw  the  Cliaplal]i  liel ping 
back  to  the  hospital  a  sick  man  who  had  o^'er-ostimated 
his  strength  and  tried  to  reach  his  company.  The  man 
sat  down  on  a  rock^  in  utter  exhaustion. 

Shorty  thrust  the  letter  back  into  his  blouse -pocket, 
Sprang  for^vaid,  picked  the  man  up  in  his  strong  arms, 
and  carried  him  bodily  to  the  hospital.  It  taxed  his 
strength  to  the  utmost,  but  it  sobered  hinij  and  cleared 
his  brain. 


SHORTY  READING  THE  LETTER. 


He  returned  to  his  covert,  took  out  his  letter,  and  again 
scanned  its  exterior  carefully.  PTe  actually  feared  to  open 
it,  but  at  last  drew  bis  knife  and  carefully  slit  one  side. 


SHOr^TY   GET^    A    LETTEI?.  5G3 

He  LiD folded  the  hicloiiure  as  caret uily  as  if  it  iiad  been  a 
rare  flower,  and  with  palpitating  heart  slowly  spelled  out. 
the  words;  one  after  another: 

"Bad  Ax,  Wisconsin, 
"April  the  Twenty-First,  1803. 
"Mister  Daniel  Elliott,  Company  Q,  200th  Indiana  Volun- 
teer Infantry. 

"Eespeeted  Sir:  I  talk  my  pen  in  hand  toe  inform  you 
that  I  am  wel,  and  hoap  that  you  aire  in  joying  the  saim 
blessing.    For  this,  God  be  prazed  and  magnified  forever." 

"Goodness,  how  religious  she  is,"  said  he,  stopping  to 
ruminate.  "Uow  much  nicer  it  makes  a  woman  to  be 
pious.  It  don't  hurt  a  man  much  to  be  a  cuss — at  least 
while  he's  young— but  I  want  a  woman  to  be  awfully  re- 
ligious.   It  sets  her  off  more'n  anything  else.'* 

He  continued  his  spelling  exercise: 

"I  am  verry  glad  that  my  sox  reached  you  all  rite,  that 
they  fell  into  the  hands  of  a  braiv,  pious  Union  soldier, 
and  he  found  them  nice." 

"Brave,  pious  Union  soldier,"  he  repeated  to  himself, 
with  a  whistle.  "Jewhilikins,  I'm  glad  Bad  Ax,  Wis.,  is 
so  fur  away  that  she  never  heard  me  makin'  remarks 
when  a  mule-team's  stalled.  But  I  must  git  a  brace  on 
myself,  and  clean  up  my  langwidge  for  inspection-day." 

He  resumed  the  spelling: 

done  the  best  I  could  on  them,  and  moren  that  no 
one  can  do.  Wimmen  cant  fite  in  this  cruel  war,  but 
they  ought  all  to  do  what  they  can.  I  only  wish  I  could 
do  more.  But  the  wimmen  must  stay  at  home  and 
watch  and  wait,  while  the  men  go  to  the  front." 

"That's  all  right,  Miss  Jerusha  Ellen  Briggs,"  said  he, 
with  more  satisfaction.  "You  jest  stay  at  home  and 
watch  and  wait,  and  I'll  try  to  do  fightin'  enough  fo7 


I 


864  SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 

both  of  us.   I'll  put  in  some  extra  licks  iu  future  on  your 
account,  and  they  won't  miss  you  from  the  front.'* 
The  next  paragraph  read: 

"I  should  like  to  hear  more  of  you  and  your  regiment. 
The  only  time  I  ever  heared  of  the  200th  Indiana  regi- 
ment was  in  a  letter  writ  home  by  one  of  our  Wisconsin 
boys  and  published  in  the  Bad  Ax  Grindstone,  in  which 
he  said  they  wuz  brigaded  with  the  200th  Indiana,  a  good 
fighting  regiment,  but  which  would  stele  even  the  shoes 
off  the  brigade  mules  if  they  wuzzent  watched,  and 
sumtimes  when  they  wuz.  Ime  sorry  to  hear  that  any 
Union  soldier  is  a  thief.  I  know  that  our  boys  from  Wis- 
consin would  rather  die  than  stele." 

"Steal!  The  200th  Injianny  steal!"  Shorty  flamed  out 
in  a  rage.  "Them  flabbergasted,  knock-kneed,  wall- 
eyed Wisconsin  whelps  writin'  home  that  the  Injiannians 
are  thieves!  The  idee  o'  them  long-haired,  splay-footed 
lumbermen,  them  chuckle-headed,  wap-sided,  white-pine 
butchers  talking  about  anybody  else's  honesty.  Why, 
they  wuz  born  stealin'.  They  never  knowed  anything 
else.  They'd  steal  the  salt  out  o'  your  hard-tack. 
They'd  steal  the  lids  off  the  Bible.  They  talk  about  the 
200th  Injianny!  I'd  like  to  find  the  liar  that  writ  that 
letter.    I'd  literally  pound  the  head  offen  him." 

It  was  some  time  before  he  could  calm  himself  down 
sufficiently  to  continue  his  literary  exercise.  Then  he 
made  out: 

"Spring's  lait  here,  but  things  is  looking  very  well. 
Wheat  wintered  good,  and  a  big  crop  is  expected.  We 
had  a  fine  singing- school  during  the  Winter,  but  the  pro- 
tracted meeting  drawed  off  a  good  many.  We  doant 
complain,  however,  for  the  revival  brought  a  great  many 
into  the  fold.  No  moar  at  present,  but  beleave  me  .| 
*'Sincerdy  Your  Friend, 

"Jerush^JfcUen  BriggStt*® 


SHORTY   GETS   A  LETTER. 


865 


Sliorty's  xieart  almost  choked  him  when  lie  finlslied. 
It  was  tlie  first  time  in  his  life  that  he  had  received  a 
letter  from  any  woman.  It  was  the  first  time  since  his 
mother's  days  that  any  woman  had  shown  the  slightest 
interest  in  his  personality.  And,  trne  man  like,  his  im- 
pulses were  to  exalt  this  particnlar  woman  into  some- 
thing above  the  mere  mortal. 

Then  came  a  hot  flush  of  indignation  that  the  Tvis- 
consin  men  shonld  malign  his  regiment,  which,  of  course, 
included  him,  to  the  mind  of  such  a  being.  He  burned 
to  go  over  and  thrash  the  first  Wisconsin  man  he  should 
meet,  '   -  . 

"Call  us  thieves;  say  we'll  steal,"  he  muttered,  as  he 
walked  toward  the  Wisconsin  camg.  "ril  learn  'em  dif- 
ferent." 

He  did  not  see  anybody  in  the  camp  that  he  could 
properly  administer  this  needed  lesson  to.  Ail  the  vigor- 
our,  able-bodied  members  seemed  to  be  out  on  drill  or 
some  other  duty,  leaving  only  a  few  sick  moping  around 
the  tents. 

Shorty's  attention  was  called  to  a  spade  lying  fempt- 
ingly  behind  one  of  the  tents.  He  and  Si  had  badly 
wanted  a  spade  for  several  days.  Here  was  an  oppor- 
tuifiity  to  acquire  one.  Shorty  sauntered  carelessly  around 
to  the  rear  of  the  tent,  looked  about  to  see  that  no  one 
was  obser^Tjig,  picked  up  the  implement  and  walked  off 
with  it  with  that  easy,  innocent  air  that  no  one  could  as- 
sume with  more  success  than  he  when  on  a  gredatorj 
expedition. 


366 


SI  KLEGG   AND  SHOETY. 


mpTER  xxxiri. 

SI  HAS  A  HARD  TIME  TRYING  TO  KEEP  WHISKY  OUT  OF  CAMP. 

"Detail  for  guard  to-morrow,"  sang  out  the  Orderly- 
Sergeant,  after  he  had  finished  the  evening  roll-call: 
"Bailey,  Belcher,  Doolittle,  Elliott,  Tracker,  Gleason, 
Hendricks,  Hummerson,  Long,  Mansur,  Nolan,  Thomp- 
son." 

"Corp'l  Klegg,  you  will  act  as  Sergeant  of  the  Guard. 

"Dan  Elliott  will  act  as  Corporal  of  the  Guard." 

It  is  one  of  the  peculiarities  of  men  that  the  less  they 
have  to  do  the  less  they  w^ant  to  do.  The  boys  of  Co.  Q 
were  no  different  from  the  rest.  When  they  were  in  act- 
ive service  a  more  lively,  energetic  crowd  could  not  be 
found  in  the  army.  They  would  march  from  daybreak  till 
midnight,  and  build  roads,  dig  ditches,  and  chop  trees 
on  the  way.  They  were  ready  and  willing  for  any  serv- 
ice, and  none  were  louder  than  they  in  their  condemna- 
tion when  they  thought  that  the  ofhcers  did  not  order 
done  what  should  be.  But  when  lying  around  camp,  with 
absolutely  nothing  to  do  but  ordinary  routine,  they  de- 
veloped into  the  laziest  mortals  that  breathed.  To  do  a 
turn  of  guard  duty  was  a  heart-breaking  afHiction,  and 
the  Orderly-Sergeant's  announcement  of  those  who  were 
detailed  for  the  morrow  brought  forth  a  yell  of  protest 
from  every  man  whose  name  was  called. 

"I  only  come  off  guard  day  before  yesterday,"  shouted 
Bailey. 

"Pm  sick,  and  can't  walk  a  step,"  complained  Belcher, 
who  had  walked  15  miles  the  day  before,  hunting  "pies- 
an'-milk.'* 


HARD  TIME  TO  KEEP  WSISKY  OUT  OF  CAMP. 


867 


"That  blamed  Orderly's  got  a  spite  at  me;  he'd  keep 
me  on  guard  every  day  in  the  week,"  grumbled  Doolittle. 

"I  was  on  fatigue  dooty  only  yesterday,"  protested 
Tracker,  who  had  to  help  carry  the  company  rations  from 
the  Commissary's  tent. 

"I'm  goin'  to  the  Surgeon  an'  git  an  excuse,"  said 
Gleason,  who  had  sprained  his  wrist  a  trifle  in  turning  a 
handspring. 

So  it  went  through  the  whole  list. 

"I  want  to  see  every  gun  spick-and-span,  every  blouse 
brushed  and  buttoned,  and  every  shoe  neatly  blacked, 
when  I  march  you  up  to  the  Adjutant,"  said  the  Orderly, 
entirely  oblivious  to  the  howls.  "If  any  of  you  don't, 
he'll  have  a  spell  of  digging  up  roots  on  the  parade.  I 
won't  have  such  a  gang  of  scarecrows  as  I  have  had  to 
maich  out  the  last  few  days.  You  fellows  make  a  note  of 
that,  and  govern  yourselves  accordingly." 

^^Eight  face— Break  ranks— March!" 

"'Corp'l  Klegg,"  said  the  Officer  of  the  Day  the  next 
morning,  as  Si  was  prejDaring  to  relieve  the  old  guard, 
''the  Colonel  is  very  much  worked  up  over  the  amount  of 
,  whisky  that  finds  its  way  into  camp.  Now  that  we  are 
out  here  by  ourselves  we  certainly  ought  to  be  able  to 
control  this.  Yet  there  was  a  disgusting  number  of 
drunken  men  in  camp  yesterday,  and  a  lot  of  trouble 
that  should  not  be.  The  Colonel  has  talked  very  strongly 
on  this  subject,  and  he  expects  us  to-day  to  put  a  stop 
to  this.  I  want  you  to  make  an  extra  effort  to  keep 
whisky  out.    I  think  you  can  do  it  if  you  try  real  hard." 

"I'll  do  my  best,  sir,"  said  Si,  saluting. 

"Shorty,"  Si  communed  with  his  next  in  rank  before 
they  started  on  their  rounds  with  the  first  relief,  "we 
must  see  that  there's  no  whisky  brung  into  camp  this 
day." 

"You  iest  bet  jour  sweet  life  there  won't  be,  either," 


868 


SI  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


returned  Sliorty.  He  felt  not  a  little  elated  over  his 
brevet  rank  and  the  responsibilities  of  his  position  as 
Corporal  of  the  Guard.  "This  here  eamp'll  be  as  dry  as 
the  State  o'  Maine  to-day." 

It  was  a  hot,  dull  day,  with  little  to  occupy  the  time  of 
those  off  guard.  As  usual,  Satan  was  finding  "some 
mischief  still  for  idle  hands  to  do." 

After  he  put  on  the  first  relief,  Si  went  back  to  the 
guard  tent  and  busied  himself  awhile  over  the  details  of 
work  to  be  found  there.  There  were  men  under  sentence 
of  hard  labor  that  he  had  to  find  employment  for,  dig- 
ging roots,  cleaning  up  the  camp,  chopping  wood  and 
making  trenches.  Jle  got  the  usual  chin-music  from 
those  whom  he  set  to  enforced  toil,  about  the  injustice 
of  their  sentences  and  "the  airs  that  some  folks  put  on 
when  they  wear  a  couple  of  stripes,"  but  he  took  this 
composedly,  and  after  awhile  went  the  rounds  to  look 
over  his  guard-line,  taking  Shorty  with  him. 

Everything  seemed  straight  and  soldierly,  and  they  sat 
down  by  a  cool  spring  in  a  little  shady  hollow. 

"Did  you  ever  notice,  Shorty,"  said  Si,  speculatively, 
as  he  looked  over  the  tin  cup  of  cool  water  he  was  sip- 
ping, "how  long  and  straight  and  string-like  the  cat- 
brier  grows  down  here  in  this  country?  You  see  25  or  30 
feet  of  it  at  times  no  thicker'n  wool-twine.  Now,  there^s 
a  piece  layin'  right  over  there,  on  t'other  side  o'  the 
branch,  more'n  a  rod  long,  and  no  thicker'n  a  rye  straw." 

"I  see  it,  an'  I  never  saw  a  piece  o'  cat-brier  move  end- 
wise before,"  said  Shorty,  fixing  his  eyes  on  the  string- 
like  green. 

"As  sure's  you're  alive,  it  is  movin',  said  Si,  starting 
to  rise. 

"Set  still,  keep  quiet  an'  watch,"  admonished  Shorty. 
"You'll  find  out  more." 
,Si  sat  still  and  looked.    The  directiou  the  brier  was 


HAED  TIME  TO  KEEP  WHISKY  OUT  OF  CAMP. 


moTing  was  toward  the  guard-liue,  some  100  feet  away  to 
the  left.  About  the  same  distance  to  the  right  was  a 
thicket  of  alders,  where  Si  thought  he  heard  voices. 
There  v^ere  indications  in  the  weeds  that  the  cat-brier 
extended  to  there. 

The  brier  maintained  its  outward  motion.  Presently  a 
clump  of  rags  was  seen  carried  along  by  it. 

"They're  sending  out  their  money  for  whisky/'  whis- 
pered Shorty.  "Keep  quiet,  and  we'll  confiscate  the  stuff 
when  it  comes  in." 

Thev  savv  the  rasr  move  straioht  toward  the  o:uard-line, 
and  pass  under  tlie  log  on  which  the  sentry  walked  when 
he  paced  his  beat  across  the  branch.  It  finally  disap- 
peared in  a  bunch  of  willows. 

Presently  a  bigger  rag  came  out  from  the  willows,  in 
response  to  the  backward  movement  of  the  long  cat- 
brier,  and  crawled  slowly  back  under  the  log  and  into 
camp.  As  it  came  opposite  Si  jumped  out,  put  his  foot 
on  the  cat-brier,  and  lifted  up  the  rag.  He  found,  as  he 
had  expected,  that  it  wrapped  up  a  pint  flask  of  whisky. 

"0,  come  off.  Si;  come  off.  Shorty!"  appealed  some  of 
Co.  Q  from  the  alders.  "Drop  that.  You  ain't  goin'  to 
be  mean,  boys.  You  don't  need  to  know  nothin'  about 
that,  an'  why  go  makin'  yourselves  fresh  when  there's 
no  necessity?  We  want  that  awful  bad,  and  we've  paid 
good  money  for  it." 

"No,  sir,"  said  Shorty  sternly,  as  he  twisted  the  bottle 
off,  and  smashed  it  on  the  stones.  "No  whisky  goes  into 
this  camp.  I'm  astonished  at  you.  Whisky's  a  cuss. 
It's  the  bane  of  the  army.  It's  the  worm  that  never 
dies.  Its  feet  lead  down  to  hell.  Who  hath  vain  bab- 
blings? Who  hath  redness  of  eyes?  The  feller  that 
drinks  likker,  and  especially  Tennessee  rotgut." 

"0,  come  off;  stop  that  dinged  preaching,  Shorty,"  said 
one  impatiently     "There's  nobody       this  camp  that 


870 


SI  KLEGG  AND  SHORTY. 


likes  whisky  better'n  you  do;  there's  nobody  that'll  go 
further  to  git  it,  an'  there's  nobody  up  to  more  tricks  to 
beat  the  guard." 

"What  I  do  as  a  private  soldier,  Mr.  Blakesley,"  said 
Shorty  with  dignity,  "haint  nothing  to  do  with  my  con- 
duct when  I'm  charged  with  responsible  dooty.  It's  my 
dooty  to  stop  the  awful  practice  o'  likker-drinkin'  in  this 
camp,  an'  I'm  goin'  to  do  it,  no  matter  what  the  cost. 
You  jest  shet  up  that  clam-shell  o'  your'n  an'  stop  inter- 
fering with  your  officers."  ; 

Si  and  Shorty  went  outside  the  lines  to  the  clump  of 
willows,  but  they  were  not  quick  enough  to  catch  Ground- 
hog, the  teamster,  and  the  civilian  whom  our  readers 
w^ill  remember  as  having  his  head  shaved  in  the  camp  at 
Murfreesboro'  some  weeks  before.  They  found,  however, 
a  jug  of  new  and  particularly  rasping  apple-jack.  There 
was  just  an  instant  of  wavering  in  Shorty's  firmness 
when  he  uncorked  the  jug  and  smelled  its  contents.  He 
lifted  it  to  his  lips,  to  further  confirm  its  character,  and 
Si  trembled,  for  he  saw  the  longing  in  his  partner's  eyes. 
The  latter's  hand  shook  a  little  as  the  first  few  drops 
touched  his  tongue,  but  with  the  look  of  a  hero  he 
turned  and  smashed  the  jug  on  a  stone. 
\  "You're  solid.  Shorty,"  said  Si. 

"Yes,  but  it  was  an  awful  wrench,  Le's  git  aw^y  frbm 
the  smell  o'  the  stuff,"  answered  Shorty.  "I'm  afraid  it'll 
be  too  much  for  me  yit." 

"Corporal  of  the  Guard,  Post  No,  1," 

"Sergeant  of  the  Guard,  Post  No.  1," 
came  down  the  line  of  sentries  as  the  two  boys  were 
sauntering  back  into  camp. 

"Somethin's  happening  over  there  at  the  %ate,"*  said 
Si,  and  they  quickened  their  steps  in  the  direction  of  the 
main  entrance  to  the  camp. 

They  foimd  there  a  lank^  long-haired^  ragged  Tennes"" 


HARD  TIME  TO  KEEP  WHISKY  OUT  OF  Ci3IP. 


871 


sean,  v^iih.  a  tattered  hat  of  white  wool  on  his  head.  His 
scanty  whiskers  were  weather-beaten,  he  had  lost  most 
of  his  front  teeth,  and  as  he  talked  he  spattered  every- 
thing around  with  tobacco-juice.  He  rode  on  a  blind, 
taw-bone  horse,  which,  with  a  dejected,  broken-down 
mule,  was  attached  by  ropes,  fragments  of  straps,  withes, 
and  pawpaw  bark  to  a  shackly  wagon. 

In  the  latter  were  some  strings  of  dried  apples,  a  pile  of 
crescents  of  dried  pumpkins,  a  sack  of  meal,  a  few  hands 
of  tobacco,  and  a  jug  of  buttermilk. 

"I  want  t'  go  inter  the  camps  an'  sell  a  leetle  jag  o' 
truck,"  the  native  explained,  as  he  drenched  the  sur- 
rounding weeds  with  tobacco-juice.  "My  ole  woman's 
powerful  sick  an'  ailin',  an'  I  need  some  money  awfully 
t'  git  her  some  quinine-.  Yarbs  don't  seem  t'  do  her  no 
sort  o'  good.  She  must  have  some  Yankee  quinine,  and 
she's  nigh  dead  fur  some  Yankee  coffee.  This  war's 
mouty  hard  on  po'  people.  Hit's  jest  killin'  'em  by 
inches,  by  takin'  away  their  coffee  an'  quinine.  I'm  a 
Union  man,  an'  allers  have  bin." 

"You  haint  got  any  whisky  in  that  wagon,  have  you?" 
asked  Si. 

■'0,  Lord,  no;  nary  mite.  You  don't  think  I'd  try  t' 
take  whisky  into  camjD,  do  you?  I'm  not  sich  a  bad  man 
as  that.  Besides,  whar'd  I  git  whisky?  The  war's  broke 
up  all  the  'stilleries  in  the  country.  What  the  Confedrits 
didn't  burn  yo'uns  did.  I've  bin  sufferin'  for  months  fur 
a  dram  o'  whisky,  an'  as  fur  my  ole  woman,  she's  nearly 
died.  That's  the  reason  the  yarbs  don't  do  her  no  good. 
She  can't  get  no  whisky  to  soak  'em  in." 

"He's  entirely  too  talkative  about  the  wickedness  o' 
bringin'  whisky  into  camp,"  whispered  Shorty.  "He's 
bin  there  before.    He's  an  old  hand  at  the  business." 

"Sure  you've  got  no  whisky?"  said  Si. 

"Sartm,  gentlemen;  sarch  my  waj^v  n,  if  you  don't  take 


872 


SI   KLEGa   AND  SHORTY. 


my  word,  I  only  wish  I  knowed  wbar  thar  wiiz  some 
whisky.  I'd  walk  20  miles  in  the  rain  t'  git  one  little 
flask  fur  my  ole  woman  and  myself.  I  tell  you,  thai 
haint  a  drap  V  be  found  in  the  hull  Duck  River  Valley. 
'Stilleries  all  burnt,  I  tell  you."  And  in  the  earnestness 
of  his  protestations  he  sprayed  his  team,  himself,  and  the 
neighboring  weeds  with  liquid  tobacco. 

Si  stepped  back  and  carefully  searched  the  wagon, 
opening  the  meal  sack,  uncorking  the  buttermilk  jug, 
and  turning  over  the  dried  apples,  pimipkins  and  tobac- 
co.  There  certainly  was  no  whisky  there. 

'Shorty  stood  leaning  on  his  musket  and  looking  at  the 
man.  He  was  pretty  sure  that  the  fellow  had  had  previ- 
ous experience  in  running  whisky  into  camp,  and  was  up 
to  the  tricks  of  the  trade.  Instead  of  a  saddle  the  man 
had  under  him  an  old  calico  quilt,  whose  original  gaudy 
colors  were  sadly  dimmed  by  the  sun,  rain,  and  dirt. 
Shorty  stepped  forward  and  lifted  one  corner.  His  sus- 
picions were  right.  It  had  an  under  pocket,  in  which 
was  a  flat,  half-pint  flask  with  a  cob  stopper,  and  filled 
with  apple-jack  so  new  that  it  was  as  colorless  as  water. 

"I  wuz  jest  bringin'  that  'ere  in  fur  you,  Capting,"  said 
the  Tennessean,  with  a  profound  wink  and  an  unabash- 
ed countenance.  "Stick  hit  in  your  pocket,  quick. 
None  o'  the  rest 's  seed  you." 

Shorty  flung  the  bottle  down  and  ordered  the  man  off 
his  hoise.  The  quilt  was  examined.  It  contained  a 
half-dozen  more  flasks,  each  holding  a  "half-pint  of 
throat'Scorch  and  at  least  two  fights,"  as  Shorty  express- 
ed it.  A  clumsy  leather  contrivance  lay  on  the  hames  of 
the  mule.  Flasks  were  found  underaeath  this,  and  the 
man  himself  was  searched.  More  flasks  were  pulled  out 
from  the  tail  pockets  of  his  ragged  coat;  from  his  breast; 
from  the  crown  of  his  ragged  hat. 

"Well,"  said  Short^^  as  be  got  tkrough,  "you'ie  a  reglei 


EAED  TIME  TO  KEEP  WHISKY  OUT  OF  CAMP. 


373 


grogsliop  on  wheels.  All  you  need  is  a  lot  o'  loafers 
talkin'  politics,  a  few  picturs  o'  racin'  hosses  and  some 
customers  buried  in  tlie  village  graveyard  to  be  a  first- 
class  bar-room.  Turn  around  and  git  back  to  that  ole 
woman  o'  your'n,  or  Ave'U  make  you  sicker'n  she  is." 

Si  and  Shorty  marched  around  with  the  second  relief, 
and  then  sat  down  to  talk  over  the  events  of  the  morn- 
ing. 

"I  guess  we've  purty  well  settled  the  whisky  business 
for  to-day  J  at  least/'  said  Si.  "The  Colonel  can't  com- 
plain of  us.  I  don't  think  we'll  have  any  more  trouble. 
Seems  to  me  that  there  can't  be  no  more  whisky  in  this 
part  o'  Tennessee,  from  the  quantity  we're  destroyed." 

"Don't  be  too  dinged  sure  o'  that,"  said  Shorty.  ""^ATiisky 
seems  to  brew  as  naterally  in  this  country  as  the  rosin 
to  run  out  o'  the  pine  trees.  I  never  saw  sich  a  country 
fur  likker.  They  have  more  stills  in  Tennessee  than 
blacksmith  shops,  and  they  work  stiddier." 

Si  looked  down  the  road  and  saw  returning  a  wagon 
which  had  been  sent  out  in  the  morning  for  forage.  It 
was  well  loaded,  and  the  guards  who  were  marching  be- 
hind had  a  few  chickens  and  other  supplies  that  they 
had  gathered  up. 

"Boys  seem  to  be  purty  fresh,  after  their  tramp,"  said 
he,  with  the  first  thought  of  a  soldier  looking  at  march- 
ing men.  "They've  all  got  their  guns  at  carry  arms.  I 
noticed  that  as  they  came  over  the  hill." 

"Yes,"  answered  Shorty,  after  a  glance,  "and  they're 
holdin'  'em  up  very  stiff  an'  straight.  That  gives  me  an 
idee.    Le's  cfo  over  there  an'  take  a  look  at  'em." 

Shorty  had  sniffed  at  a  trick  that  he  had  more  than 
once  played  in  getting  the  forbidden  beverage  past  the 
lynx-eyed  sentry. 

"'Don't  you  find  it  hard  work  to  march  at  rout-step  with 
your  guns  at  a  carry?"  he  said  insinuatingly.    "iNo  need 


S74 


m    KTEGG    ANT)  SHORTY. 


o'  >!  in  ii  1  exv  (  or*  p::rnue  or  dril].  Right-slioulfler- 
shift  or  arms -at  will  is  the  thing  Avhen  you're  on  the 
road." 

"H-s-sh,"  said  the  leading  fde,  with  a  profound  wink 
and  a  sidelong  glance  at  Si.  "Keep  quiet,  Shorty,"  he 
added  in  a  stage  whisper.  "We'll  give  you  some.  It's 
all  right.    We'll  whack  up  fair." 

"No,  it  ain't  all  right,"  said  Shorty,  w^ith  properly  of- 
fended official  dignity.  "Don't  you  dare  offer  to  bribe  me, 
Buck  Harper,  when  I'm  on  duty.  Hand  me  that  gun 
this  minute." 

Harper  shamefacedly  handed  over  the  musket,  still 
holding  it  carefully  upright.  Shorty  at  once  reversed  it. 
and  a  stream  of  Avhisky  ran  out  upon  the  thirsty  soil, 

Si  grasped  the  situation,  and  disarmed  the  others  with 
like  result. 

"I  ought  to  put  every  one  o'  you  in  the  guardhouse  for 
this.  It's  lucky  that  the  Officer  of  the  Guard  wasn't 
here.  He'd  have  done  it.  There  he  conies  now.  Skijg 
out -after  the  wagon,  quick,  before  he  gits  on  to  you." 

"What  next?"  sighed  Si.  "Is  the  whole  world  bent  on 
bringin'  whisky  into  this  camp?  Haint  they  got  none  for 
the  others?'* 

"Sergeant  of  the  Guard,  Post  No.  1,"  rang  out  upon  the 
hot  air.  Si  walked  over  again  to  the  entrance,  and  saw 
seeking  admission  a  tall,  bony,  woman,  wearing  a  dirty 
and  limp  sunbonnet,  and  smoking  a  corn-cob  pipe.  She 
was  mounted  on  a  slab-sided  horse,  with  ribs  like  a 
washboard,  and  carried  a  basket  on  her  arm  covered  >vith 
a  coarse  cloth  none  too  clean. 

"Looks  as  if  she'd  bin  picked  before  she  was  ripe  and 
got  awfully  warped  in  the  dryin'.  All  the  same  she's 
loaded  with  whisky,"  commented  Shorty  as  the  woman 
descended  from  her  saddle  and  approached  the  sentry 
with  an  air  of  resolute  demand. 


HARD  TIME  TO  KEEP  WHISKY  OUT  OF  CAMP. 


375 


"You  liaint  got  no  right  to  stop  me,  young  feller/'  she 
said.  "I  come  in  hyar  every  day  an'  bring  pies.  Your 
Jinerul  said  I  could,  an'  he  wanted  me  to.  His  men 
want  my  pies,  an'  they  do  'em  good.  Hit's  home- 
cookin,'  an'  takes  the  taste  o'  the  nasty  camp  viti les  out 
o'  their  mouths,  an'  makes  'em  healthy.  You  jest  raise 
yer  gun,  an'  let  me  go  right  in,  or  I'll  tell  yer  Jinerul.  an' 
he'll  make  it  warm  fur  yer.    I've  got  a  pass  from  hijii." 

"Let  me  see  your  pass,"  said  Si,  stepping  forward. 
The  woman  unhooked  her  linsey  dress,  fiimbled  around 
in  the  recesses,  and  finally  produced  a  soiled  and 
crumpled  paper,  which,  when  straightened  out,  read: 

"Mrs.  Sarah  Bolster  has  permission  to  pass  in  and 
out  of  the  camp  of  the  20Uth  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry. 

"By  order  of  Col.  Quackenlnish. 

"D.  L.  Blakemore,  Lieut.  &  Adj't." 

'^WhaVve  you  got  in  that  basket?"  asked  Si,  still  hesi- 
tating. 

"Pies,"  she  answered  confidently.  "The  best  pies  you 
ever  seed.  Some  of  'cm  punk  in;  but  the  heft  of  'em 
dried  apple,  with  lots  o'  'lasses  in  fur  sweetenin'.  Your 
mother  never  baked  better  pies  'n  'cm." 

"To  my  mind,"  muttered  Shorty,  as  he  stepjDcd  forward 
to  investigate  the  basket,  "she's  the  kind  o'  a  w^oman 
I'd  like  to  have  bake  pies  for  a  gang  o'  State's  prison 
birds  that  I  wanted  to  kill  off  without  the  trouble  o' 
hangin'.  Say,  ma'am,  are  your  pies  pegged  or  sewed? 
What'd  you  use  for  shortenen' — injy  rubber  or  Aunt 
Jemimy's  plaster?"  he  continued  as  he  turned  back  the 
cloth  and  surveyed  the  well-known  specimens  of  moun- 
tain baking. which  were  as  harmful  to  Uncle  Sam's  boys 
as  the  bullets  of  their  enemies. 

"Young  feller,  none  yer  sass,"  she  said  severely. 
"Them's  better  pies  than  ye're  used  ter.  Folks  that's 
never  had  nothin'  air  allers  the  most  gartickeler,  an* 


376 


SI  KLEGa  AKD  SHOETT. 


turnin^  up  thar  noses  at  rayly  good  things.  Don't  fool 
with  me  no  more,  but  let  me  go  on  inter  camp,  fur  the 
soljers  air  expectin'  me." 

"Sure  you  haint  got  no  whisky  down  in  the  bottom  o' 
that  basket?"  said  Si,  pushing  the  pies  about  a  little,  to 
get  a  better  look. 

The  indignation  of  the  woman  at  this  insinuation  was 
stunning.  She  took  her  pipe  out  of  her  mouth  to  better 
express  her  contempt  for  men  who  would  insult  a  South- 
ern lady  by  such  a  hint — one,  too,  that  had  been  of  so 
much  benefit  to  the  soldiers  by  toiling  over  the  hot  oven 
to  prepare  for  them  food  more  acceptable  than  the  coarse 
rations  their  stingy  Government  furnished  them.  She 
had  never  been  so  insulted  in  her  life,  and  she  would 
bring  down  on  them  dire  punishment  from  the  Colonel.  ^ 

Several  experiences  with  the  tongue-lashings  of  South- 
ern viragoes  had  made  Si  and  Shorty  less  impressed  by 
them  than  they  had  been  earlier  in  their  service.  Still, 
they  had  the  healthy  young  man's  awe  of  anything  that 
wore  skirts,  and  the  tirade  produced  its  effect,  but  not 
strong  enough  to  eradicate  the  belief  that  she  was  a 
whisky-bringer.  While  she  stormed  Si  kept  his  eyes 
fixed  upon  the  scant  linsey  dress  which  draped  her  tall 
form.  Presently  he  said  to  Shorty! 
_  "What  do  you  think?  Shall  we  let  her  go  in?« 
^  Shorty  whispered  back  with  great  deliberatSaai 

"Si,  what  I  know  about  the  female  form  don't  amotist 
to  shucks.  Least  of  all  the  Tennessee  female  form.  But 
I've  been  lookin'  that  ^ere  woman  over  carefully  while , 
she's  bin  jawin',  an'  while  she's  naturallj-  covered  with 
knots  and  knobs  in  places  where  it  seems  to  me  that 
women  generally  don't  have  'em,  I  can't  help  believin* 
that  she's  got  some  knots  and  knobs  that  naturally 
don't  belong  to  her.  In  other  words,  she's  got  a  whole 
lot  o'  flasks  o'  whisky  under  her  sldrts,* 


HAUD  TDIE  TO  KEEP  WHISKY  OUT  OF  CAOT. 


877 


''^Jest  wliat  Pre  been  suspicioiiiuV  said  Si.  "I'Ve 
heard  that  that's  the  way  h^ts  o'  whisky  is  brung  into 
camp.  Shorty,  as  Corpural  o'  the  Guard^  it's  your  duty 
to  search  her." 

"What!"  yelled  Shorty,  horror-struck  at  the  immodest 
thought.    ''Si  Klegg,  are  you  gone  plum  crazy?" 

"Shorty/''  said  Si  firmly,  "it's  got  to  be  done.  She's 
got  a  pass,  and  the  right  to  go  into  camp.  We're  both  o' 
the  opinion  that  she's  carryin'  in  whisky.  If  she  was  a 
man  there'd  be  no  doubt  that  she'd  have  to  be  searched. 
I  don't  understand  that  the  law  knows  any  difference  in 
persons.  No  matter  what  you  may  think  about  it,  it  is 
your  duty,  as  Corporal  o'  the  Guard,  to  make  the  search.'' 

"No,  sir-ree,"  insisted  Shorty.  "You're  Sergeant  o'  the 
Guard,  and  it's  your  dooty  to  make  all  searches." 

"Shorty,"  expostulated  Si,  "I'm  much  younger  and 
modester'n  you  are,  an'  haint  seen  nearly  so  much  o' 
the  world.  You  ought  to  do  this.  Besides,  you're  under 
my  orders,  as  Actin'  Corporal.  I  order  you  to  make  the 
search." 

"Si  Klegg,"  said  Shorty  firmly,  "I'll  see  you  and  all  the 
Corporals  and  Sergeants  betwixt  here  and  Washington  in 
the  middle  o'  next  week  before  I'll  do  it.  You  may  buck- 
and-gag  me,  and  tit5  me  up  by  the  thumbs^  and  then  I 
won't.  I  resign  my  position  as  Corporal  right  here,  and'll 
take  my  gun  and  go  on  post." 

"What  in  the  world  are  we  goin'  to  do?"  said  Si  despe- 
rately. "If  we  let  her  in,  she'll  fill  the  camp  full  o' 
whisky,  and  she'll  have  to  go  in,  unless  we  kin  show 
some  reason  for  keepin'  her  out.  Hold  on;  I've  got  an 
idee." 

;He  went  up  to  the  woman  and  said: 

^/^^ou  say  you  want  to  go  into  camp  to  sell  your  pies?" 

^TTes,  sir,  an'  I  want  to  go  in  right  ul^~no  morefoolin* 
around^"  she  answered  tartly^ 


378 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


"How  many  pies've  you  got?" 

She  went  through  a  laborious  counting,  and  finally 
announced:    "Eight  altogether." 
"How  much  are  they  worth?" 
"Fifty  cents  apiece." 

"Very  good/'  answered  Si,  taking  some  money  irom  liis 
pocket.  "That  comes  to  |4.  I'll  take  the  lot  and  treat 
the  boys.  Here's  your  money.  Now  you've  got  no  more 
business  in  camp,  jest  turn  around  and  mosey  for  home. 
You've  made  a  good  day's  business,  and  ought  to  be 
satisfied. 

The  woman  scowled  with  disappointment.  But  she 
wisely  concluded  that  she  had  better  be  content  with  the 
compromise,  remounted  her  horse  and  disappeared  down 
the  road.  ^ 

"That  was  a  sneak  out  of  a  difficulty,"  Si  confessed  to 
Shorty;  "but  you  were  as  big  a  coward  as  I  was." 

"No,  I  wasn't,"  insisted  Shorty,  still  watchful.  "You'd 
no  right  to  order  me  do  something  that  you  was  afraid  to 
do  yourself.   That's  no  kind  o'  officering." 


THE  CHUMS  HEAR  FROM  THE  JEW  SPY  879 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

THE  CHUMS  HEAR  FROM  TFTE  JEW  SPY,  AND  SHORTY  HAS  AN 

ADVENTURE. 

"I  wonder  wliat  has  become  of  our  Jew  spy,  Sbnrtv?" 
said  Si,  as  he  and  Shorty  sat  on  the  bank  ol  Duck  River 
and  watched  the  rubel  pickets  loungintj  under  the  beeches 
on  the  other  side.  "We  haint  heard  not h in'  of  him  for 
more'n  a  month  n<.*w."       ,  . 

"He's  probably  hung/'  answered  Shorty.  '^Fle  was  en- 
tirely too  smart  to  live  long.  A  man  can't  go  on  always 
pokiu'  his  finger  into  a  rattlesnake's  jaw  without  gittin' 
it  nipped  sooner  or  later." 

"I'm  looking  fur  a  man  called  Si  Kl egg,"  they  heard 
behind  them.  Looking  around  they  saw  the  tall,  gaunt 
woman  whom  they  had  turned  back  from  entering  the 
camp  a  few  days  before,  under  the  belief  that  she  was 
trying  to  smuggle  in  whisky. 

"What  in  the  world  can  she  want  o'  me?"  thought  Si; 
but  he  answered, 

"That's  my  name.    What '11  you  have?" 

A  flash  of  recognition  filled  at  once  her  faded  blue 
eyes.  Without  taking  her  pipe  from  between  her  yellow, 
snaggly  teeth  she  delivered  a  volley  of  tobacco-juice  at  an 
unoffending  morning-glory,  and  snapped  out: 

"0,  y'r  him  air,  ye?  Y'r  the  dratted  measley  sapsucker 
that  bounced  me  'bout  takin'  likker  inter  camp.  What 
bizniss  wuz  hit  o'  your'n  whether  I  tuk  likker  in  or  not? 
Jest  wanted  t'  be  smart,  didn't  ye?  Jest  wanted  t'  inter- 
fere with  a  lone,  lorn  widder  lady  makin'  a  honest  livin' 
for  herself  and  10  children.  My  ole  man  ketched  the 
black  ager  layin'  out  in  the  brush  to  dodge  the  consciigt- 


880 


SI   ELEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


ers.  It  went  plumb  to  his  heart  an'  killed  him.  Ho 
wa'n't  no  great  loss,  nohow,  fur  he'd  eat  more  in  a  week 
than  he'd  kill,  ketch,  or  raise  in  a  year.  When  his  light 
went  out  I'd  only  one  less  mouth  to  feed,  and  got  rid  o' 
his  jawin'  an'  cussin'  all  the  time.  But  that  hain't 
nothin'  t'  do  with  you.  You  's  jest  puttin'  on  a  leetle 
authority  kase  ye  could.  But  all  men  air  alike  that-a- 
way.  Elect  a  man  Constable,  an'  he  wants  t'  put  on 
more  airs  than  the  Guv'nor;  marry  him,  an'  he  makes  ye 
his  slave." 

"I  should  think  it'd  be  a  bold  man  that'd  try  to  make 
you  his  slave,  Madam,"  Si  ventured. 

"Y'  she'd  think,"  she  retorted,  with  her  arms  akimbo. 
''Who  axed  y'  t'  think,  young  feller?  What  d'  y'  do  hit 
with?  Why  d'  y'  strain  y'rself  doin'  somethin'  y'  ain't 
usedt'?" 

It  did  Shorty  so  much  good  to  see  Si  squelched;  that  he 
chuckled  aloud  and  called  out: 

"Give  it  to  him,  old  Snuff-Dipper.  He's  from  the  Wa- 
bash, an'  haint  no  friends.  He's  bin  itchin'  a  long  time 
for  jest  such  a  skinnin'  as  you're  givin'  him." 

''Who  air  yo'  callin'  Snuff-Dipper?"  she  retorted,  turn- 
ing angrily  on  Shorty.  "What've  ye  got  t'  say  agin 
snuff-dippin',  aaiy  way,  y'  terbacker-chawin',  likker- 
guzzlin',  wall-eyed,  splay-footed,  knock-kneed  oaf? 
What  air  yo'  greasy  hirelings  a-comin'  down  heah  fo', 
t'  sass  and  slander  Southern  ladies,  who  air  yo'  supe- 
riors?" 

"Give  it  to  him,  old  Corncob  Pipe,"  yelled  Si.  "He 
needs  lambastin'  worse'n  any  man  in  the  regiment.  Bat 
what  did  you  want  to  see  me  for?" 

"I  wanted  to  see  yo'  bekase  I  got  a  letter  to  yo'  from  a 
friend  o'  mine,  who  said  yo'  wuz  gentlemen,  an'  rayly 
not  Yankees  at  all.  He  said  that  yo'  wuz  forced  inta 
the  army  agin  yo'  will" 


THE  CHUMS  HEAR  FEOM  THE  JEW  SPY. 


S81 


"GracioiiSj  vrhat  a  liar  tliat  man  must  be/'  mxurmiired 
Shorty  to  liimsell. 

"An^  that  yo'  rayly  had  no  heart  to  fight  for  the  nigger, 
au'  that  yo'd  treat  me  like  a  sister.'' 

"A  sister/'  vShorty  ex})loded  internally.  ^Think  of  a 
feller's  havin'  a  sister  like  that.  Why^,  I  -svoiildn't  throw 
her  in  a  soap -grease  barrel." 

^'AYho  was  this  friend.  Madam?"  said  Si;  and  where  is 
his  letter?" 

^'1  don't  know  whether  to  give  it  to  yo'  or  not,"  said 
she.  ''Y're  not  the  men  at  ail  that  he  ascribed  to  me. 
He  Sciid  yo'  wuz  very  good-looki]!',  perlite  gentlemen, 
who  couldn't  do  too  much  for  a  lady." 

''Sorry  vre're  not  as  handsome  as  you  expected,"  said 
Si;  "but  mebbe  that's  because  we're  in  fatigue  uniforms. 
You  ought  to  see  my  partner  there  when  he's  fixed  up  for 
parade.  He's  purtier'n  a  red  wagon  then.  Let  me  see 
the  letter.    I  can  tell  then  whether  we're  the  men  or  not." 

"Kin  yo'  read,"  she  asked  suspiciously. 

"0,  yes,"  answered  Si  laughingly  at  the  thought  almost 
universal  in  the  South,  that  reading  and  writing  were — 
like  the  Gift  of  Tongues— a  special  dispensation  to  a  few 
favored  individuals  only.  "I  can  read  and  do  lots  o' 
things  that  common  people  can't.  I'm  seventh  son  of  a 
seventh  son,  born  with  a  caul  on  my  head  at  the  time  o' 
the  full  moon.    Let  me  see  the  letter." 

She  was  not  more  than  half  convinced,  but  unhooked 
her  dress  and  took  a  note  from  her  bosom,  which  she 
stuck  out  toAvard  Si,  holding  tightly  on  to  one  end  in  the 
meaiiNvhile.  Si  read,  in  Levi  Rosenbaum's  flourishing, 
ornate  handwriting: 

''Corporal  Josiah  Klegg, 
Co.  Q,  200th  Indiana  Volunteers, 
in  Came  on  Duck  Kiver." 


SI    KLEGG   AND  SHOETY. 


"That  means  me,"  said  Si,  taking  hold  of  the  end  of 
the  envelope.  "There  ain't  but  one  200th  Injianny  Vol- 
vmteers;  there's  no  other  Co.  Q,  and  I'm  the  only  Josiah 
Klegg." 

The  woman  still  held  on  to  the  other  end  of  the  letter. 

''It  comes,"  continued' Si,  "from  a  man  a  little  under 
medium  size,  with  black  hair  and  eyes,  dresses  well, 
talks  fast,  and  speaks  a  Dutch  brogue." 

"That's  him,"  said  the  woman,  relinquishing  the  letter, 
and  taking  a  seat  under  the  shade  of  a  young  cucumber 
tree,  where  she  proceeded  to  fill  her  pipe,  while  waiting 
the  reading  of  the  missive. 

Si  stepped  off  a  little  ways,  and  Shorty  looked  oyer  his 
shoulder  as  he  opened  the  letter  and  read; 

^Dear  Boys :  This  will  be  handed  you,  if  it?acnes  you 
at  all,  by  Mrs.  Bolster,  who  has  more  about  her  than 
you  think." 

"I  don't  know  about  that,"  muttered  Shorty;  "the  last 
time  1  had  the  pleasure  o'  meetin'  the  lady  she  had 
'steen  dozen  bottles  o'  head-bust  about  her." 

"She's  a  Confederate,  as  far  as  she  goes,"  Si  continued 
reading,  "which  is  not  very  far.  She  don't  go  but  little 
ways.  A  jay-bird  that  did  not  have  any  more  brains 
would  not  build  much  of  a  nest.  But  she  is  very  useful 
to  me,  and  I  want  you  to  get  in  Avith  her.  As  soon  as 
you  read  this  I  want  Si  to  give  her  that  pair  of  horn 
combs  I  gave  him.    Do  it  at  once.   Sincerely  your  friend, 

"Levi  Rosenbaum.'* 

Si  knit  his  brows  in  perplexity  and  wonderment  over 
this  strange  message.  He  looked  at  Shorty,  but  Shorty's 
face  was  as  blank  of  explanation  as  his  own.  He  fum- 
bled around  in  his  blouse  pocket,  drew  forth  the  combs, 
and  handed  them  to  the  woman.  Her  dull  face  lighted 
up  visibly.   She  examined  the  combs  carefully,  as  if 


THE  CHUMS  HEAR  FROM  THE  JEW  SPY. 


383 


fitting  them  to  a  description,  and  reaching  in  her  bosom 
she  pulled  out  another  letter  and  handed  it  to  Si. 
When  this  was  opened  Si  read: 

"Dear  Boys:  Now  you  will  understand  the  comb  busi- 
ness. I  wanted  to  make  sure  that  my  letter  reached  the 
right  men,  and  the  combs  were  the  only  things  I  could 
think  of  at  the  moment.  Mrs.  B.  Avill  prize  them,  though 
she  will  never  think  of  using  thejn,  either  on  herself  or 
one  of  her  shock-headed  brats.  I  want  you  to  play  it  on 
her  as  far  as  your  consciences  will  allow.  Pretend  that 
you  are  awful  sick  of  this  Abolition  war,  and  tired  fight- 
ing for  the  nigger,  and  all  that  stuff.  Make  her  the  hap- 
piest woman  in  Tennessee  by  giving  her  all  the  coffee 
you  can  spare.  That  will  fetch  her  quicker  and  surer 
than  anything  else.  Like  most  Southern  women,  she  is 
a  coffee- drinker  first  and  a  rebel  afterward,  and  if  some 
preacher  would  tell  her  that  heaven  is  a  place  where  she 
will  get  all  the  Yankee  coffee  she  can  drink,  she  would 
go  to  church  reguTarl}^  for  the  rest  of  her  life.  Tell  her  a 
lot  of  news — as  much  of  it  true  as  you  can  and  think 
best;  as  much  of  it  otherwise  as  you  can  invent.  FoIIoav 
her  cautiously  when  she  leaves  camp.  Don't  let  her 
see  you  do  so.  You  will  find  that  she  will  lead  you  to  a 
nest  of  spies,  and  the  place  where  all  the  whisky  is  fur- 
nished to  sell  in  camp.  I  write  you  thus  freely  because 
I  am  certain  that  this  will  get  in  your  hands.  I  know 
that  your  regiment  is  out  here,  because  I  have  been 
watching  it  for  a  week,  with  reference  to  its  being  at- 
tacked. It  won't  be  for  at  least  aAvhile,  for  there's  an- 
other hen  on.  But  make  up  to  the  old  lady  as  much  as 
your  consciences  and  stomachs  will  allow  you.  It  will 
be  for  the  best  interests  of  the  service. 

"Sincerely  your  friend,  "Levi  Kosenbaum."  , 

"I  wonder  what  game  Levi  is  up  to?"  Si  said,  as  he 


384 


SI  KLEGG  AND  SHOETTT. 


stood  with  tlie  letter  in  his  hand  and  looked  at  the 
woman.  'Til  give  her  all  the  coffee  I  can  and  be  very 
civil  to  her,  but  that's  as  far  as  I'll  go.  The  old  rebel 
cat.    I'll  not  lie  to  her  for  40  Levi  Eosenbaunas." 

"Well,  I  will,"  said  Shorty.  "You  fix  her  up  with  the 
coffee,  and  leave  the  rest  to  me.  I  always  had  a. fancy 
for  queer  animals,  and  run  off  from  home  once  to  travel 
with  a  menagerie.  I'd  like  to  take  her  up  North  and 
start  a  side-show  with.  her.  ^The  Queen  o'  the  Raccoon 
Mountains,'  or  the  'Champion  Snuff-Dipper  o'  the  Se- 
quatchie Valley.'    How'd  that  do  for  a  sign?" 

"Well,  go  ahead,"  said  Si.  "But  expect  no  help  from 
me." 

"Mr.  Kl egg,  when  I  want  your  help  in  courtin'  a  lady 
I'll  let  you  know,"  said  Shorty  with  dignity.  Si  went 
back  to  the  tent  to  see  about  getting  the  coffee,  and 
Shorty  approached  Mrs.  Bolster  with  an  engaging  ex- 
pression on  his  countenance.  She  was  knocking  the 
ashes  out  of  her  pipe. 

"Let  me  fill  your  pipe  up  again,  Madam,  with  some- 
thing very  choice,"  said  he,  pulling  out  a  plug  of  bright 
natural  leaf.  "Here's  some  terbacker  the  like  o'  Avhich 
you  never  see  in  all  your  born  days.  It  was  raised  from 
seed  stole  from  the  private  stock  of  the  High-muk-a-muk 
o'  Turkey,  brung  acrost  the  ocean  in  a  silver  terbacker 
box  for  the  use  o'  President  Buchanan,  and  planted  in 
the  new  o'  the  moon  on  a  piece  o'  ground  that  never  be- 
fore had  raised  nothin'  but  roses  and  swect-AvilHams, 
My  oldest  brother,  who  is  a  Senator  from  Oshkosh,  got 
just  one  plug  of  it,  which  he  divided  with  me." 

"0,  my  I  is  that  true?"  she  gurgled. 

"It's  as  true  as  that  you  are  a  remarkably  fine-Iookin' 
woman,"  he  said  with  unblushing  countenance,  as  he 
began  whittling  off  some  of  the  tobacco  to  £.11  her  pipe. 


SHORTY  HAS  AIT  ADYENTUEE. 


885 


"I  was  struck  by  your  appearance  as  soon  as  I  saw  you. 
I  always  w^as  very  iond  of  the  Southern  ladies." 

"Sakes  alive,  air  y'?"  she  asked;  "then  w^hat  air 
yo'uns  down  here  foutin'  w^e'uns  fur?" 

"That's  a  long  story,  m'm,"  answered  Shorty.  "It  was 
a  trick  o'  the  Abolition  politicians  that  got  us  into  it. 
I'm  awful  sick  o'  the  war  (that  we  haint  gone  ahead  and 
knocked  the  heads  off  en  this  W'hole  crowed  instead  o* 
layin'  'round  here  in  camp  for  months,)"  he  added  as  a 
mental  reservation,  "and  wdsht  I  was  out  of  it  (after 
we've  hung  Jeff  Davis  on  a  sour-apple  tree).  Then  I 
might  settle  down  here  and  marry  some  nice  W'Oman. 
Your're  a  widder,  I  believe  you  said." 

"Yes,  I'm  a  widder,"  she  answered,  taking  her  pipe 
from  her  mouth  and  giving  him  what  she  intended  for  a 
languishing  smile,  but  which  Shorty  afterward  said  re- 
minded him  of  a  sun-crack  in  a  mud  fence.  "Yes,  I'm 
a  widder.  Bin  so  for  gwine  on  six  months.  Sakes  alive, 
but  dr>  talk  nice.  You  air  the  best-lookin'  Yankee  I've 
ever  seed.*^ 

"Nothin'  painfully  bashful  about  her,"  thought 
Shorty.  "But  I  must  be  careful  not  to  let  iier  get  mf 
near  a  Justice  of  the  Peace.  She'd  marry  me  before  I 
could  ketch  my  breath.   Madam,"  he   continued  aloud. 

"Yo'  may  call  me  Sally,"  she  said,  with,  another 
cavernous  smile. 

"Well,  Sophrony,  let  me  present  you  with  half  o'  this 
plug  o'  famous  terbacker."  He  drew  his  jackkuife  and 
sliced  the  plug  in  two.  "Take  it,  with  my  warmest  re- 
spects. Here  comes  my  partner  with  some  coffee  I've 
sent  him  for,  and  which  I  want  you  to  have.  It  is  not 
as  much  as  I'd  like  to  give  you,  but  it's  all  that  I  ha^. 
Some  other  day  you  shall  have  much  more." 

7  0 


886 


61  AKD  SHORtT. 


*Laws  sakes,"  she  bubbled,  as  the  fragrant  oioi  of  the 
coffee  reached  her  nose,  and  she  hefted  the  package. 
*Yo'  air  jest  the  nicest  man  I  ever  did  see  in  all  my  born 
days.  I  didn't  s'pose  thar  wuz  so  nice  a  man,  or  sich  a 
g*!X)d-lookin'  one,  in  the  hull  Yankee  army,  or  in  the 
Confederit  either,  fur  that  matter.  But,  then,  yo'  aint 
no  real  blue-bellied  Yankee." 

"No,  indeed,  Sally.  I  never  saw  New  England  in 
all  my  life,  nor  did  any  o'  my  people.  They  wuz  from 
Virginny  (about  500  miles,  as  near  as  I  kin  calculate)," 
he  added  to  himself,  as  a  mental  poultice. 

"Say,  Mister,  why  don't  yo'  leave  the  Yankee  army?" 

"Can't,"  said  Shorty,  despairingly,  "If  1  try  to  git  back 
home  the  Prove 's '11  ketch  me.  If  I  go  the  other  way  the 
rebel's  ketch  me.   I'm  betwixt  the  devil  and  the  deep  sea." 

She  sat  and  smoked  for  several  minuses  in  semblance 
of  deep  thought,  and  spat  with  careful  aim  at  one  after 
another  of  the  prominent  weeds  around.   Then  she  said: 

"If  yo'  want  t'  splice  with  me  I  kin  take  keer  o'  yo'. 
I've  helped  run  off  several  o'  the  boys  who  wuz  sick  o' 
this  Abolition  war.  Thar's  two  o'  them  now  with  Bill 
Phillips's  gang  makin'  it  hot  for  the  Yankee  trains  and 
camps.  They're  makin'  more'n  they  ever  did  soljerin', 
an'  havin'  a  much  better  time,  for  they  take  whatever 
they  want,  no  matter  who  it  belongs  to.  D'yo'  know 
Groundhog,  a  teamster?   He's  in  cahoots  with  us." 

"Oh!"  said  Shorty  to  himself.  "Here's  another  lay  al- 
together. Guess  it's  my  duty  to  work,  it  for  all  that  it'^ 
wojcih." 

'Is  it  a  bargain?"  she  said  suddenly,  stretching  out  her 
long,  skinny  hand. 

"Sophrony,"  said  Shorty,  taking  her  hand,  "this  is  so 
sudden.  I  had  never  thought  o'  marryin' — at  least  till 
this  cruel  war  is  over.    I  don't  know  what  kind  of  a 


SHORTY  HAS  AN  ADVENTURE. 


387 


,  husband  Fd  make.   I  don't  know  whether  I  coukl  fill  the 
place  o' your  late  husband.  P'  

"Yo're  not  gwine  t'  sneak  out/'  she  said,  with  a  fierce 
flash  in  her  gray  eyes.    "If  yo'  do  I'll  have  yo'  pizened.'* 

"Now,  who's  talkin'  about  backiu'  out?"  said  Shorty  in 
a  fever  of  placation,  for  he  was  afraid  that  some  of  the 
other  boys  would  overhear  the  conversation.  "Don't  talk 
so  loud.  Come,  let's  walk  on  toward  your  home.  We 
kin  talk  on  the  way." 

The  proposition  appeared  reasonable.  She  took  the 
bridle  of  her  horse  over  her  arm,  and  together  they  walked 
out  through  the  guard-line.  The  sentries  gave  Shorty  a 
deep,  knowing  wink  as  he  passed.  lie  went  the  more 
willingly,  as  he  was  anxious  to  find  out  more  about  the 
woman,  and  the  operations  of  the  gang  with  which  she 
was  connected.  She  had  already  said  enough  to  ex- 
plain several  mysterious  things  of  recent  occurrence. 
Night  came  down  and  as  her  ungainliness  was  not  thrust 
upon  him  as  it  was  in  the  broad  glare  of  day,  he  feltles3 
difficulty  in  professing  a  deep  attachment  for  her.  He 
even  took  her  hand.  On  her  part  she  grew  more  open 
md  communicative  at  every  step,  and  Shorty  had  no 
difficulty  in  understanding  that  there  was  gathered 
around  her  a  gang  that  was  practicing  about  every+hing 
detrimental  to  the  army.  They  were  by  turns  ^pies,  rob- 
bers, murderers,  whisky  smugglers,  horse-thieves,  and 
anything  else  that  promised  a  benefit  to  themselves. 
Ostensibly  they  were  rebels,  but  this  did  not  prevent 
their  preying  upon  the  rebels  when  occasion  offered. 
Some  were  deserters  from  the  rebel  army,  some  were 
evading  the  conscript  laws,  two  or  three  were  desertei^s 
from  our  army. 

Shorty  and  the  woman  had  reached  a  point  nearly  © 
half-mile  outside  of  the  guard-line  when  he  stopped  and 
said: 


S88 


m  KLEGO  AND  SHOBTY. 


*'I  can't  go  no  farther  now.   I  must  go  back.** 
*'Why  must  yo*  go  back?"  she  demanded,  with  a  sud- 
den angry  suspicion.    "I  thought  yo'  wuz  gwine  right' 
along  with  me." 

*'Why,  no.  I  never  thought  o'  that.  I  must  go  back 
and  get  my  things  before  I  go  with  you,"  said  Shorty^  as 
the  readiest  way  of  putting  her  off. 


-SHE  WHIPPIS:^  OUT  A  LONG  KNIFE." 


"Plague  take  y'r  things,"  she  said.  "Let  'em  go.  Yo' 
kin  git  plenty  more  jest  as  good  from  the  next  Yankee 
camp.  Vo'  slip  i:>ack  some  night  with  the  boys  an'  git 
yo'r  own  things,  if  y're  so  dratted  stuck  on  'em.  Come 
^long  now." 

She  took  hohl  of  his  wrist  with  a  grip  like  iron.  Shorty 
had  no  idea  that  a  woman  could  have  such  strength. 

"I  want  to  go  back  and  git  my  partner,"  said  Shorty. 
"Me  and  him  've  bin  together  all  the  iim^  we\'e  bin  iu 


I 

j  SHOETY  HAS         ADTEXTUEE.  S89 

the  army.  Ho '11  go  along  ^Yith  me,  I'm  sure.  Me  and 
liim  thinks  alike  on  everything,  and  what  one  starts  the 
other  jines  in.    I  want  to  go  back  to  him  an'  git  him." 

"^'I  don't  like  that  partner  o'  your'n.  I  don't  want  him. 
I'll  be  a  better  partner  t'  yo'  than  ever  he  was.  Yo' 
mustn't  think  more  o'  him  than  yo'  do  o'  me." 

"Look  here,  Sophrony,"  said  Shorty  desperately.  ''I 
cannot  an'  I  ill  not  go  with  you  to-night.  I'm  expectin' 
important  letters  from  home  to-morroW;  and  I  must  go 
back  an'  git  'em.  I've  a  thousand  things  to  do  before  I 
go  away.  Have  some  sense.  This  thing's  bin  sprung 
on  me  so  suddenly  that  it  ketches  me  unawares." 

With  the  quickness  of  a  flash  she  whipped  out  along 
knife  from  somewhere,  and  raised  it,  and  then  hesitated 
a  second. 

'•'I  believe  yo're  foolin'  me,  and  if  I  wuz  shore  I'd  stick 
yo'.  But  I'm  gwine  t'  give  yo'  a  chance.  Yo'  kin  go 
back  now,  an'  I'll  come  for  yo'  ter-morrer.  If  you  go  back 
on  me  hit'll  be  a  mouty  sorry  day  for  yo'.  Mind  that 
now." 

Shorty  gallantly  helped  her  mount;  and  then  hurried 
back  to  camp. 


390 


SI  KLEGG  AND  SHORTY. 


CHAPTER  XXXy. 

SI  SHORTY  GO  OUT  TO  VISIT  MRS.  BOLSTER. 

Shorty  sauntered  thoughtfully  back  to  the  tent,  ana 
on  the  way  decided  to  tell  Si  the  whole  occurrence,  not 
even  omitting  the  deceit  practiced. 

He  had  to  admit  to  himself  that  he  was  unaccountably 
shaken  up  by  the  affair. 

Si  was  so  deeply  interested  in  the  revelations  that  he 
forgot  to  blame  Shorty's  double-dealing. 

"Never  had  my  nerve  so  strained  before,"  Shorty  frank- 
ly admitted.  "At  their  best,  women  are  euriousep  than 
trausniogriEed  huUaloos,  and  when  a  real  cute  one  sets 
out  to  hornswoggle  a  man  he  might  as  well  lay  down  and 
give  right  up,  for  he  haint  no  earthly  show.  She  gits 
away  with  him  every  time,  and  one  to  spare.  That  there 
woman  's  got  the  devil  in  her  bigger'n  a  sheep,  and  she 
come  nigher  makiu'  P^^^y  your  Uncle  Ephraim  than  I 
ever  dreamed  of  before.  It  makes  me  shivery  to  think 
about  it." 

*i  donH  care  if  she's  more  devils  in  her  than  the 
Gadareae  swine,  she  must  be  stopped  at  once,"  said  Si, 
his  patriotic  zeal  flaming  up.  '*She's  doiu  more  mis- 
chief than  a  whole  regiment  o'  rebels,  and  must  be  bust- 
ed immediately.   We've  got  to  stop  her." 

^'B^^  jcist  how  are  we  goin'  to  stop  her?"  Shorty  asked. 
There  was  a  vreak  unreadiness  in  Shorty's  tones  that 
made  Si  look  at  him  in  surprise.  Never  before,  in  any 
emergency,  had  there  been  the  slightest  shade  of  such  a 
thing  in  his  bold,  self-reliant  partner's  voice. 

"I'd  rather  tackle  any  two  men  there  are  in  the  South- 


SI  A^'D  SHORTY  VISIT  MES.  BOLSTER. 


891 


ern  Confederacy  than  that  womaii/'  said  Shorty.  "I  be- 
lieve she  put  a  spell  on  me." 

"Le's  go  up  and  talk  to  Capt.  McGillicuddy  about  it,'^ 
said  Si.  Ordinarily,  this  was  the  last  thing  that  either 
of  them  would  have  thought  of  doing.  Their  usual  dispo- 
sition was  to  go  ahead  and  settle  the  problem  before 
them  in  their  own  way,  and  report  about  it  afterward. 
But  Shorty  was  clearly  demoralized, 

Capt.  McGillicuddy  listened  very  gravely  to  their  story. 

^'Evidently  that  old  hen  has  a  nest  of  bad,  dangerous 
men,  which  has  to  be  broken  up/'  he  said.  "AVe  can  get 
the  whole  raft  if  we  go  about  it  in  the  right  way,  but 
we've  got  to  be  mighty  smart  in  dealing  with  them,  or 
they'll  fly  the  coop,  and  leave  the  laugh  on  us.  You  say 
she's  coming  back  to-morrow?^' 

"Yes,"  said  Shorty,  with  a  perceptible  shiver. 

*'Well,  I  want  you  to  fall  right  in  with  all  her  plans  — 
both  of  you.  Pretend  to  be  anxious  to  desert,  or  any- 
thing else  that  she  may  propose.  Go  back  home  witli 
her.  I  shall  watch  you  carefully,  but  without  seeming  to, 
and  follow  you  with  a  squad  big  enough  to  take  care  of 
anything  that  may  be  out  there.  Go  back  to  your  tent 
now,  and  think  it  all  over,  and  arrange  some  signal  to  let 
me  know  when  you  want  me  to  jump  the  outfit." 

The  boys  went  back  to  their  tent,  and  spent  an  hour 
in  anxious  consideration  of  their  plans.  Si  saw  thco|>- 
pertunity  to  render  a  great  service,  and  was  eager  to  per- 
form it,  but  he  firmly  refused  to  tell  any  lies  to  the  wo- 
man or  those  around  her.  He  would  not  say  that  he  was 
tired  of  the  service  and  wanted  to  desert;  he  would  not 
pretend  lildng  for  the  Southern  Confederacy  or  the  rebels, 
nor  hatred  to  his  own  people.  He  would  do  nothing  but 
go  along,  share  all  the  dangers  with  Shorty,  and  be 
ready  at  the  moment  to  co-operate  in  breaking  up  the 
gang,  ' 


S92 


SI  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


*'Some  folks's  so  durned  straight  that  tlioy  lean  over 
backwards,"  said  Shorty  impatiently.  "What  in  thunder 
does  it  amount  to  what  you  tell  these  ornery  gallinip- 
pers  ?  They'll  lie  to  you  as  fast  as  a  hoss  kin  trot. 
There's  no  devilment  they  won't  do,  and  there  kin  be 
nothin'  wrong  in  anything  ^^ou  kin  do  and  say  to  them." 

"Everybody  settles  some  things  for  himself/'  said  the 
unchangeable  Si.  "I  believe  them  folks  are  as  bad  as 
they  kin  be  made.  I  believe  every  one  o'  'em  ought  to  be 
killed,  and  if  it  wuz  orders  to  kill  'em  I'd  kill  without  turnin' 
a  hair.  But  I  jest  simply  won't  lie  to  nobody,  I  don't  care 
who  he  is.  I'll  stand  by  you  until  the  last  drop;  you  kin 
tell  'em  what  you  please,  but  I  won't  tell  'emnothin', 
except  that  they're  a  pizeii  gang,  that  ought  t've  bin 
roastin'  in  brimstone  'long  ago." 

"But,"  expostulated  Shorty,  "if  you  only  go  along  with 
me  you're  actin'  a  lie.  If  you  go  out  o'  camp  with  me 
you'll  pretend  to  be  desertin'  and  j'inin'  in  with  'em. 
Seems  to  me  that's  jest  as  bad  as  tellin'  a  lie  straight 
out." 

"Well,"  said  the  immovable  Si,  "I  draw  the  line  there. 
I'll  go  along  with  you,  and  they  kin  think  what  they  like. 
But  if  I  say  anything  to  ^em,  they'll  git  it  mighty  straight." 

"Well,  I  don't  knovv  but,  after  all,  we  kin  better  arrange 
It  that  way,"  said  Shorty,  after  he  had  thought  it  over  in 
silence  for  some  time.  "I'm  sure  that  if  you'd  talk  you'd 
|ive  us  dead  away.  That  clumsy  bass  wood  tongue  o' 
^ourn  haiirt  any  suppleness,  and  yru^'d  be  sure  to  blurt 
out  something  that  'd  jest  ruin  us.  An  idee  occurs  to 
lie.  You  jest  go  along,  look  sour  and  say  nothin'.  I'll 
tell  'em  you  ketched  cold  the  other  night  and  lost  your 
speech.  It'll  give  me  a  turn  o'  extra  dooty  talkin'  for 
two,  but  I  guess  I  kin  do  it." 

''Ml  right,"  agreed  Si.    "Let  it  go  that  way." 

*'Nowa  look  here,  Si,"  sadd  -^korty,  in  a  low,  mysterious 


SI  AND  SHORTY  VISIT  MRS.  BOLSTER. 


893 


tone,  "I'm  goin'  to  tell  you  somethin'  that  I  liadn't  in- 
tended to.  I'm  scared  to  death  lest  that  old  hag'U  git 
the  drop  on  me  some  way  and  marry  me  right  out  of 
hand.  I  tell  you,  she  jest  frightens  the  life  out  o'  me. 
That  worries  me  more'n  all  the  rest  put  together.  I  ex- 
pect I  ought  to  'v'  told  you  so  at  the  very  first." 

^'Nonsense/'  said  Si  contemptiiousiy.     "The  idee 
you're  being  afeared  o'  such  a  thing." 

"It's  all  very  well  for  you  to  snort  and  laugh,  Si  Klegg," 
persisted  Shorty.  "You  don't  know  her.  I  sneered  at 
her,  too,  at  first,  but  when  I  was  left  alone  with  her  she 
seemed  to  mesmerize  me.  I  found  myself  talkin'  about 
marryin'  her  before  I  knowed  it,  and  the  next  thing  I 
w^as  on  the  p'int  o'  actually  marrying  her.  1  believe 
that  if  she'd  got  me  to  walk  a  half-mile  further  with  her 
she'd  a  run  me  up  agin  a  Justice  o^  the  Peace  and  mar- 
ried me  in  spite  of  all  that  I  could  do.  I'd  much  ruther 
have  my  head  blowed  off  than  married  to  that  old  cata- 
mount." 

"Bah,  you  can't  marry  folks  unless  both  are  willin'," 
insisted  Si.  "A  man  can't  have  a  marriage  rung  in  on 
him  willy-nilly." 

"There's  just  where  you're  shootin'  off  your  mouth 
without  any  sense.  You  don't  know  w^hat  you're  talkin*' 
about.  Men  are  lassoed  every  day  and  married  to  wo- 
men that  they'd  run  away  from  like  a  dog  from  a  porcu- 
pine, if  they  could.  You  jest  look  around  among  the 
married  folks  you  know,  and  see  how  many  there  are 
that  wouldn't  have  married  one  another  if  they'd  bin  in 
their  senses." 

"Well,  I  don't  think  o'  many,"  said  Si,  whose  remem- 
brances were  that  the  people  in  Posey  County  seemed 
generally  well-mated. 

"AYell,  there  mayn't  be  many,  but  there's  some,  and  I 
don't  propose  to  be  one  of  'em.    There's  some  spell  or 


394 


BI  KLEGG  AOT)  SHOETY. 


witchcraft  about  it.  Fve  read  in  books  about  tbings 
that  gave  a  woman  power  to  marry  any  man  she  wanted 
to,  and  he  couldn't  help  himself.  That  woman's  got 
something  o*  that  kind,  and  she's  set  her  eye  on  me. 
I'm  goin'  to  meet  her,  and  I  want  to  help  break  up  her 
gang,  but  I'd  a  great  deal  rather  tackle  old  Bragg  and 
his  entire  army.  I  want  you  to  stay  right  by  me  every 
minnit,  and  keep  your  eye  on  me,  when  she's  near  me." 

"All  right,"  said  Si  sleepily,  as  he  crawled  into  bed. 

The  next  morning,  as  they  were  discussing  the  ques* 
tion  of  signals,  they  happened  to  pass  the  Sutler's,  and 
Si  caught  a  glimpse  of  packages  of  fire-crackers,  which 
the  regimental  purveyor  had,  for  some  inscrutable  reason, 
thought  he  might  sell.  An  idea  occurred  to  Si,  and  he 
bought  a  coui)le  of  packages,  and  stowed  them  away  in 
his  blouse  pocket  and  told  the  Ca})tain  that  their  firing 
would  be  the  signal,  unless  a  musket-shot  should  come 
first. 

It  was  yet  early  in  the  forenoon  as  they  waliced  on  the 
less-fre«|uented  side  of  the  camp.  Shorty  gave  a  start, 
and  gas{>ed: 

"Jewhilikins,  there  she  is  already." 

Si  looked,,  and  saw  Mrs.  Bolster  striding  toward  them. 
Shorty  hung  back  instinctively  for  an  instant,  and  then 
braced  up  and  bade  her  good  morning. 

She  grunted  an  acknowledgment,  and  said  rather  im- 
[i^eriouslj: 

"I'^re  a-gwine,  air  yo'?" 

*''CerUualv/'  answered  Shorty. 

"And  yo'?''  she  inquired,  looking  at  Si. 

"Tie's  a  goin'  too,"  answered  Shorty.  "Mustn't  ex- 
pect hiin  to  talk,  lie's  short  on  tongue  this  mornin'. 
Ketclied  a  bad  cold  night  before  last.  Settled  on  his 
word -mill.    Unjinted  his  clapper.    Can't  speak  a  word. 


SI  AJ^B  SHORTY  VISIT  MES.  BOLSTER. 


395 


Doctor  says  it  will  last  several  days.  Not  a  great  affic- 
tion.    Couldn't 've  lost  auything  o'  less  account.'' 

"MustVe  bin  an  orful  cold/'  said  she,  taking  her  pipe 
from  her  mouth  and  eyeing  Si  suspiciously.  "Never 
knoAved  a  cold  to  shut  off  any  one's  gab  afore.  Seems  t' 
me  that  hit  makes  people  talk  more.  But  these  Yan- 
kees air  different.  Whar  air  yer  things?"  Did  yo'  bring 
plenty  o'  coffee?" 

"We've  got  'em  hid  down  here  in  the  brush,"  said 
Shorty.    "We'll  git  'em  when  we're  ready  to  start." 

''We're  ready  now/'  she  answered,    "Come  along." 

"But  we  haint  no  passes/'  objected  Shorty.  "We  must 
go  to  the  Captain  and  git  passes." 

"Yo'  w^on't  need  no  passes/'  she  said  impatiently. 
"Foller  me." 

Shorty  had  expected  to  make  the  pretext  about  the 
passes  serve  for  informing  Capt.  McGillicuddy  of  the 
presence  of  the  woman  in  the  camp.  He  looked  quickly 
around  and  saw  the  Captain  sauntering  carelessly  at  a 
little  distance,  so  that  any  notification  w^as  unnecessary. 
He  turned  and  followed  Mrs.  Bolster's  long  strides,  with 
Si  bringing  up  the  rear. 

They  went  to  the  clump  of  brush  where  they  had  hid- 
den their  haversacks  and  guns.  Mrs.  Bolster  eagerly  ex- 
amined the  precious  package  of  coffee. 

"I'll  take  keer  o'  this  myself,"  she  said,  sioN^g  it 
away  about  her  lanky  person.  "I  can't  affoid  to  take  i30 
resks  as  to  hit." 

Si  and  Shorty  had  thought  themselves  very  familiar 
with  the  campground,  but  they  were  astonished  to  find 
themselves  led  outside  the  line  without  passing  under 
'"the  eye  of  a  single  guard.  Si  looked  at  Shorty  iu  amaze- 
ment, and  Shorty  remarked: 

"Well,  I'll  be  durned." 

The  woman  noticed  and  understood,  "Yo*  Yaoika," 


S96 


BI  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


she  said  scornfully,  "think  yourselves  moughty  smart 
with  all  your  book-larnin/  and  yo'uns  put  on  heaps  o' 
airs  over  po'  folks  what  haint  no  eddication;  but  what 
you  don't  know  about  Tennessee  woods  would  make  a 
bigger  book  than  ever  was  printed." 

"1  believe  you,"  said  Shorty  fervently.  His  supersti- 
tion in  regard  to  her  was  rapidly  augmenting  to  that  point 
where  he  believed  her  capable  of  anything.  He  was 
alarmed  about  Capt.  McGillicuddy's  being  able  to  follow 
their  mysterious  movements.  But  they  soon  came  to 
the  road,  and  looking  back  from  the  top  of  a  hill,  Shorty's 
heart  lightened  as  he  saw  a  squad  moving  out  which  he 
was  confident  was  led  by  Capt.  McGillicuddy. 

But  little  had  been  said  so  far.  At  a  turn  of  the  road 
they  came  upon  a  gray-bearded  man,  wearing  a  battered 
silk  hat  and  spectacles,  whom  Mrs.  Bolster  greeted  as 
"'Squire." 

The  word  seemed  to  send  all  the  blood  from  Shorty's 
face,  and  he  looked  appealingly  to  Si  as  if  the  crisis  had 
come. 

The  newcomer  looked  them  over  sharply  and  inquired: 

*'Who  are  these  mon,  Mrs.  Bolster?" 

"They'uns 's  all  right.  They'uns  's  had  enough  o' 
Abolition  doin's,  and  hev  come  over  whar  theyHms  allers 
rayly  belonged.  This  one  is  a  partickler  fiiend  o'  mine," 
and  she  leered  at  Shorty  in  a  way  that  made  his  blood 
run  cold. 

"Hain't  yo'  time  t'  stop  a  minute,  'Squire?"  she  asked 
appealmglv;  as  the  newcomer  turned  his  horse's  head  to 
renew  his  journey 

"Not  now;  not  now,"  ansv;ered  the  'Squire,  digging  his 
heels  into  his  steed's  side.  "I  want  to  talk  t'  yo'  and 
these  'ere  men  'bout  Avhat's  gwine  on  in  the  Lincoln 
camps,  but  I  must  hurry  on  now  to  meet  Capt.  Solomon 


SI  AND  SHORTY  VISIT  MS.  BOLSTER.         ~  397- 

at  the  Winding  Blades/'  I'll  come  over  to  your  house 
this  evening/'  he  caMed  back, 

"Don't  fail;  'Squire/'  she  answered,  "fur  Vve  got  a  little 
job  for  yo',  an'  I  want  hit  E^tick^jly  clo^e  tliis  very 
eveniu'.  Hit  can't  wait/'  /"^-^ 


i 

SHE  PLAYFULLY  PJNCHED  HIS  AB^ 


"I'll  be  there  without  fail/'  he  assured  her.  - ' 
"Captiug  Solomon's  the  man  what  sent  the  lettet 
you/'  she  explained,  which  somewhat  raised  §iiQai|n$ 


398 


SI  KLEOa  AND  SHORTY. 


baum  miglit  rescue  him  if  Capt.  McGillicuddy  should  be 
behind  time. 

As  they  jogged  onward  farther  from  camp  Mrs.  Bolster's 
saturnine  earnestness  began  to  be  succeeded  by  what 
were  intended  to  be  demonstrations  of  playful  affection 
for  her  future  husband,  whom  she  now  began  to  regard 
as  securely  hers.  She  would  draw  Shorty  into  the  path 
%  little  ahead  of  Si,  and  walk  alongside  of  him,  pinching 
^  s^irn  and  jabbering  incoherent  words  which  were 
meant  for  terms  of  endearment.  When  the  narrowness 
of  the  A:>ad  made  them  walk  in  single  file  she  would  come 
up  from  time  to  time  alongside  with  cuffs  intended  for 
playful  love-taps 

At  each  of  these  Shorty  would  cast  such  a  look  of 
wretchedness  at  Si  that  the  latter  had  difficulty  in  pre- 
serving his  steadfast  silence  and  rigidity  of  countenance. 

But  the  woman's  chief  affection  seemed  to  be  called 
forth  by  the  package  of  coffee.  She  would  stop  in  the 
Uiidst  of  any  demonstration  to  pull  out  the  bag  contain- 
ing the  fragrant  beriy,  and  lovingly  inhale  its  odor. 

It  was  long  past  noon  when  she  announced:  "Thar^s 
my  house  right  ahead."  She  followed  this  up  with  a 
ringing  whoopee,  which  made  the  tumbledown  cabin 
suddenly  swarm  with  animation.  A  legion  of  loud- 
niouihed  dugs  charged  down  toward  the  road.  Children 
of  various  ages,  but  of  no  variety  in  their  rags  and  un- 
kempt wildness,  followed  the  dogs,  or  perched  upon  the 
fence-coi  aers  and  stumps,  and  three  or  four  shambling, 
iKvv'l-fac^ft  mountaineers  lunged  forward,  guns  in  hand, 
with  eyes  fiercer  than  the  dogs,  as  they  looked  over  the 
two  armed  soldiers. 

"They'uns  is  all  right,  boys,^-  exclaimed  the  woman. 
"They'uns's  plum  sick  o'  doggin'  hit  for  Abe  Lincoln  an' 
quit.'^' 

"Let  'em  gin  up  thai  guns,  then,"  said  the  foremost 


SI  AND  SHORTY  VISIT  MRS.  BOLSTER. 


399 


marif  who  Had  but  one  eye,  reaching  for  Shorty's  musket* 
"I'll  take  this  one.  Pve  been  longin'  for  a  good  Yankee 
gun  for  a  plum  month  to  reach  them  Yankee  prickets  on 
Duck  River." 

Though  Shorty  and  Si  had  schooled  themselves  in  the 
part  they  were  to  play,  the  repugnant  thought  of  giving 
up  their  arms  to  the  rebels  threatened  to  overset  every- 
thing. Instinctively  they  threw  up  their  guns  to  knock 
over  the  impudent  guerrillas.  The  woman  strode  in  be- 
tween them  and  the  others,  and  caught  hold  of  their 
muskets. 

"Don't  be  fools.  Let  'em  have  your  guns,"  she  said, 
and  she  caught  Si's  with  such  quick  unexpectedness 
that  she  wrenched  it  from  his  grasp  and  flung  it  to  the 
man  who  wanted  Shorty's,  She  threw  one  arm  arOun^ 
Shorty's  neck,  with  a  hug  so  muscular  that  his  breath 
failed,  and  she  wrenched  his  gun  away.  She  kept  this 
in  her  hand,  however. 

"Now,  I  want  these  'ere  men  treated  right,"  she  an- 
nounced to  the  others,  "and  I'm  agwine  to  have  'em 
treated  right,  or  I'll  bust  somebody's  skillet.  They'uns 
is  my  takings,  and  I'm  agwine  to  have  all  the  say  'bout 
'em.  I've  never  interfered  with  any  Yankees  any  o' 
yo'uns  have  brung  in,  Yo've  done  with  them  as  you 
pleased,  an'  I'm  agwine  to  do  with  these  jest  as  I  please, 
and  yo'uus  that  don't  like  hit  kin  jest  lump  hit,  that's 

oil 

"Sal  Bolster,  I  want  yo'  to  take  yo'r  arm  from  around 
that  Yank's  neck,"  said  the  man  who  had  tried  to  take 
Shorty's  gun.  "I  won't  'low  yo'  to  put  yo'r  arm  'round 
another  man's  neck  as  long's  I'm  alive  to  stop  it." 

"Ye  won't,  Jeff  Hackberry,"  she  sneered.  "Jealous,  air 
ye?  You've  got  no  bizniss  o'  bein'.  Done  tole  ye  ^long 
ago  I'd  never  marry  yo',  so  long  as  I  could  And  a  man 
who  has  two  good  ejes  and  a  'djgectable  character,  I've 


400 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


doue  found  liim.  Here  he  is,  and  -Squire  Corson  '11 
splice  us  to-night."  ■ 

How  much  of  eacli  of  the  emotions  of  jealousy,  disap- 
pointment, hurt  vanity,  and  rebel  antagonism  went  into 


the  howl  that  Mr.  Jeff  Hackberry  set  up  at  this  announce- 
ment will  never  be  known.  He  made  a  rush  with  clench- 
ed fists  at  Shorty. 

A  better  description  could  be  given  of  the  operations  of 
the  center  of  a  tornado  than  of  the  events  of  the  next  feiy 


gl  AND  SHORTY  VISIT  mS.  BOLSTER. 


minutes.  Shorty  and  Hackberry  grappled  fiercely.  Mrs. 
Bolster  mixed  in  to  stop  the  fight  and  save  Shorty.  Si 
and  the  other  three  rebels  flung  themselves  into  the 
whirlpool  of  strikes,  kicks,  and  grapples.  The  delighted 
children  came  rushing  in,  and  eagerly  joined  the  fray, 
striking  with  charming  impartiality  at  every  opportunity 
to  get  a  lick  in  anywhere  on  anybody;  and  finally  the 
legion  of  dogs,  to  whom  such  scenes  seemed  familiar  and 
gladsome,  rushed  in  with  an  ear-splitting  clamor,  and 
jumped  and  bit  at  the  arms  and  legs  that  went  flying 
around. 

This  was  too  violent  to  last  long.  Everybody  and  every 
thing  had  to  stop  from  sheer  exhaustion.  But  when  the 
stop  came  Mrs.  Bolster  was  sittiiig  on  the  prostrate  form 
of  Jeff  Hackberry.  The  others  were  disentangling  them- 
selves from  one  another,  the  chi-ldren  and  the  dogs,  and 
apparently  trying  to  get  thems.eives  into  relation  with  the 
points  of  the  compass  and  understand  what  had  bee^i 
happening. 

"Have  yo'  had  enough,  JeS  Hackberry?"  inquireci 
Mrs.  Bolster,  "or  will  yo'  obleege  me  to  gou^e  yer  other 
eye  out  afore  yo'  come  to  yer  senses-?'^ 

"Le'  me  up,  Sally,"  pleaded  ih^  Ukm,  we  hS» 

talk  this  thing'ovex,". 


SI   KLEGa   AND  SHORTY. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

BREAKING  UP  A  BAD  REBEL  NEST. 

When  pliysical  exhaustion  called  a  halt  in  the  fracas, 
Mrs.  Bolster  was  seated  on  Jeff  Hackberry's  breast, 
with  her  sinewy  hands  clutching  his  loug  hair,  and  her 
tlminb,  with  a  cruel,  long  nail,  pressing  the  ball  of  his  one 
food  eye.  Shorty  was  holding  down  one  of  the  guerrillas 
who  had  tried  to  climb  on  his  back  when  he  was  grap- 
pling with  Hackberry.  Si  had  knocked  one  guerrilla 
venseless  with  his  gun-barrel,  and  now  came  to  a  breath- 
bsa  standstill  iu  a  struggle  with  another  for  the  posses- 
sion of  his  gun.  T!i€  childrejA  and  dogs  had  broken  up 
into  several  smaller  storm-cenieia;  m  each  of  which  a 
vicious  tight  was  going  on.  In  some  it  was  dog  and  dog  ' 
in  some  child  and  child,  and  in  others  dogs  and  childreii 
mixed. 

Then  they  all  halted  to  observe  the  outcome  of  the  dis- 
cussion between  Mrs.  Bolster  and  Jeff  ITackberTy. 

"Holler  'nuff,  Jeff,  or  out  ^oes  yer  last  light,"  com* 
manded  Mrs.  Bolster,  emphasizing  her  words  by  rising  a 
iittie,  and  then  settling  down  on  Jeff's  breast  with  a 
force  that  drove  near  every  «spoonful  of  breath  out  of  him. 

"Sal,  le'  me  up,"  he  begged  in  gasps. 

"Mrs.  B^^loter,"  she  reminded  him,  with  another  Jounce 
upon  his  chest. 

"Mrs.  Bolster,  ie'  me  up.  Pd  'a'  got  away  with  that 
'ere  Yank  ef  ye'  hedn't  tripped  me  with  them  long  legs 
o'  your'n." 

"I'm  right  smart  on  the  trip,  aint  I,"  she  grinned.  "I 
never  seed  a  man  yit  that  I  couldn't  throw  in  any  sort  of 
a  rastle." 


BEEASIXG  UP  A  REBEL  NEST. 


405 


me  up,  ILrs.  Bolster,  an'  le's  begin  over  agin,  an' 
yo'  keep  out,-'  begged  Hackberry. 

^'Xot  much  I  won't.  I  aiut  that  Idnd  of  a  chicken,"  she 
asserted  with  another  jounce.  ''When  I  down  a  man  I 
down  him  fer  good,  an'  he  never  gits  up  agin  'till  he  caves 
entirely.  If  I  let  yo'  up,  will  yo'  swar  to  quile  down 
peaceable  as  a  lamb,  an'  make  the  rest  do  the  same?" 

"Never,"  asserted  Hackbeiry.  "I'm  er^wine  to  kave  it 
out  with  that  Yank." 

''No  you  haint,"  she  replied  with  a  still  more  emphatic 
jounce  that  made  Hackberry  use  all  the  breath  left  him 
to  groan, 

"I'll  quile,"  he  said,  with  his  nest  instalment  o!  at- 
mosphere. 

"Will  yo'  agree  t'  let  me  marry  this  Yank,  an*  V  ^ve 
me  away  as  my  oldest  friend,  nearest  o'  kin,  an'  best 
man?"  she  inquired,  rising  sufficiently  to  let  him  take  m 
a  full  breath  and  give  a  free,  unforced  answer. 

"Nary  a  time,"  he  shrieked.  "I'll  die  fust,  afore  I'll 
*low  yo' t'  marry  ary  other  man  but  me." 

"Then  you'll  lose  yer  blinker,  yo'  pigheaded,  likker- 
guzzlin,'  ornery,  no-account  sand-hill  crane,"  she  said^ 
viciously  coming  down  on  his  chest  with  her  full  weigVit 
and  sticking  the  point  of  her  nail  against  his  eye.  "I 
wouldn't  marry  yo'  if  ye  wuz  the  last  nubbin  in  the  Loni 
A'miahty's  crib,  and  thar'd  never  be  another  crap  o'  men. 
Yo'il  lisver  git  no  chance  to  make  me  yer  slave,  and 
beat  me  and  starve  me  t'  death  as  yo'  did  Nance  Brill. 
I  ain't  gwine  t'  fool  with  yer  parvarsity  nary  a  minnit 
longer.  Say  this  instant  whethc^i  yo^U  do  as  /  gay  with 
a  free  ^'--ill  and  good  Heart,  or  out  ^oes  yer  peeter." 

"I  promise,"  gruaned  Jefi. 

"Yo'  sw'ar  hit?"  she  demanded. 

"Yes,  I  sw'ar  hit,"  anawexed  Je5 


404 


SI  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


Mrs.  Bolster  rose,  and  confirmed  the  contract  by  givir.g 
him  a  kick  in  the  side  with  her  heavy  brogan. 

"That's  jest  a  lovetap/'  she  remarked,  let  yo'  know 
V  le'  me  alone  hereafter.  Now,  le's  straighten  things 
around  here  fer  a  pleasant  time." 

She  initiated  her  proposed  era  of  good  feeling  by  a  sound- 
ing kick  in  the  ribs  of  the  most  obstreperous  of  the  dogs, 
and  a  slap  on  the  face  oi     12-jAear-old  girl,  who  was  the 


*'JEFF  SAT  UP  AND  EUBBED  HIMSELF." 


noisiest  and  most  pugnacious  of  the  lot.  Each  c.^/- these 
set  up  a  hov/1,  but  there  was  a  general  acquiescence  in 
hei  assertion  of  authority. 

Jeff  Ilackberry  sat  up,  scratched  and  rubbed  himself, 
seemed  to  be  trying  to  once  more  get  a  full  supply  of  air 
in  his  lungs,  and  turned  a  one-eyed  glare  on  his  sur- 
roundings. The  guerrilla  whom  Si  had  knocked  down 
began  to  show  signs  of  returning  consciousness,  but  no 


BEEAKING  UP  A  KEBEL  ISCESt, 


405 


one  paid  any  attention  to  him.  One  of  the  otltei  two 
pulled  out  a  piece  of  tobacco,  split  it  in  two,  put  the  big- 
ger half  in  his  own  mouth  and  handed  the  remainder  to 
his  partner.  Both  began  chewing  meditatively  and  look- 
ing with  vacant  eyes  for  the  next  act  in  the  drama. 
Shorty  regained  his  gun,  and  he  and  Si  looked  inquir- 
ingly at  one  another  and  the  mistress  of  the  ranch- 

^^Come  on  up  V  the  house,"  she  said,  starting  in  that 
direction.  The  rest  followed,  with  Si  and  Shorty  in  the 
lead. 

The  boys  gazed  around  them  with  strong  curiositj^ 
The  interior  was  like  that  of  the  other  log  cabins  they 
had  seen — a  rough  puncheon  floor  for  the  single  room>  a 
fireplace  as  big  as  a  barn  door,  built  of  rough  stones, 
with  a  hearth  of  undressed  flat  stones,  upon  which  sa^  a 
few  clumsy  cooking  utensils  of  heavy  cast-iron,  three- 
legged  stools  for  chairs,  a  table  of  rough  whip-sawed 
boards  held  together  by  wooden  pins.  In  two  of  the 
corners  were  beds  made  of  a  layer  of  poles  resting  upon  a 
stick  supported  at  one  end  upon  a  log  in  the  wall  and  at 
the  other  end  a  forked  stick  driven  between  the  pun- 
cheoiis  into  the  ground  below.  Upon  this  was  a  pile  of 
beech  leaves  doing  duty  as  a  mattress.  The  iDed-clothes 
were  a  mass  of  ragged  fabrics,  sheepskins^  etc,  used  in 
the  daytime  for  saddle-blankets  and  at  night  upon  the 
bed.  There  had  been  added  to  them,  however,  looking 
particularly  good  and  rich  in  contrast  with,  their  squalor, 
several  blankets  with  ''U.  S."  marked  upon  them.  Around 
the  room  were  canteens,  shoes,  and  other  soldier  belong- 
ings. 

"Have  they  killed  and  robbed  the  men  to  whom  theso 
belonged,  or  merely  traded  whisky  for  them?"  was  the 
thought  that  instantly  flashed  through  Si's  and  Shorty's 
minds.  The  answer  seemed  to  be  favorable  to  murder 
and  robbery.    ^'Set  down  an'  make  yourselves  at  home. 


61   KLEGG   AND  SHOETY. 


Pll  git  yo*  out  sutliin' t'  wet  yer  whistles,"  said  Mrs.  Bol- 
ster, wreathing  as  much  graeiousness  as  she  could  into 
her  weathered-wood  countenance.  She  apparently 
kicked  at  the  same  instant  a  stool  toward  them  with  her 
left  foot,  and  a  dog  out  of  the  way  with  her  right,  a  per- 
formance that  excited  Shorty's  admiration. 

"When  1  see  a  woman  kick  in  different  directions  with 
both  feet  at  the  same  time,  I  understood  how  dangerous 
her  trip  Avould  be  in  a  rastle,"  he  said  afterward. 

Si  and  Shorty  shoved  two  of  the  stools  so  that  they 
could  sit  with  their  backs  to  the  wall,  still  holding  their  ^ 
guns. 

The  guerrillas  came  fding  in,  with,  an  expectant  look 
on  their  faces.  Even  Jeff  Hackberry  looked  more 
thirstily  longing  than  wrathful.  The  man  who  had  fallen 
under  Si's  gunbarrel  had  gotten  able  to  walk,  was  rub- 
bing his  head  and  moaning  with  the  design  of  attracting 
attention  and  sympathy. 

Mrs.  Bolster  produced  a  key  from  her  pocket.  The 
others  understood  what  this  meant.  They  lifted  aside 
some  sacks  of  meal  and  shelled  corn,  and  revealed  a 
puncheon  which  had  been  cut  in  two,  and  the  short  piece 
VTas  garnished  by  rude  iron  hinges  and  hasp,  all  probably 
taken  from  some  burned  barn.  The  hasp  was  locked 
into  the  staple  by  one  of  the  heavy  padlocks  customary 
on  the  plantations,  and  this  Mrs.  Bolster  proceeded  to 
open  with  her  key.  When  the  puncheon  was  turned  up 
it  revealed  a  pit  beneath,  from  which  she  lifted  a  large 
jug  of  whisky.  She  poured  some  out  in  a  tin  cup  and 
handed  it  to  Shorty. 

"Take  a  big  swig,"  she  said;  "hit's  mouty  good  stuff— 
ole  Jeff  Thompson's  brewin'  from  yaller  corn  raised  on 
rich  bottom  land." 
Si  trembled  as  he  saw  his  jgartner  take  the  cup.  Shorty 


BREAKING  UP  A  REBEL  NEST. 


407 


smelled  it  appreciatively.  "That  is  good  stuff/'  lie  said. 
''Eoses  aint  novrliere  alongside.'' 

He  put  tke  cup  to  his  lips  and  took  a  sip. 

"Tastes  as  good  as  it  smells,"  he  said,  heartily,  ^A-liile 
the  mouths  of  the  guerrillas  were  watering.  He  put  the 
cup  again  to  his  lips,  as  if  to  take  a  deep  draft.  Then 
came  a  short  cough  and  a  tremendous  sputter,  foUovred 
by  more  painful  coughing  and  strangling. 

"Jest  my  infernal  luck,"  gasped  Shorty.  "I  would  talk, 
an'  I  got  some  down  the  wrong  way.  "Lord,  it's  burnin' 
my  lights  out.    Gi'  me  a  drink  o'  water,  somebody." 

One  of  the  children  handed  him  a  gourdful  of  water, 
while  he  continued  to  cough  and  sputter  and  blame 
himself  for  talking  when  he  was  drinking. 

The  woman  handed  the  cup  to  Si,  who  feared  that  the 
liquor  might  be  poisoned  or  drugged.  He  made  a  pretense 
of  drinking,  and  then  handed  the  cup  back,  making  mo- 
tions that  his  throat  was  so  sore  that  he  could  not  drink 
much.  3Irs.  Bolster  looked  at  him  suspiciously,  but  the 
clamor  of  the  guerrillas  distracted  her  atteution,  and  she 
turned  to  supply  them.' 

"No,  Jeff  Hackberry,"  she  said  firmly,  "yo'  can't  harG 
more'n  two  fingers.  I  know  yo'  of  old,  an'  jest  how 
much  vo'  orter  tote.  Two  fingers Tl  make  yo'  comfortable 
an'  sociable;  three'll  raise  the  deril  in  yo',  an'  four'U 
make  yo'  dancin'  drunk,  whei>  fo'U  have  t'  be  held  d'Owu. 
Yo'li  have  jest  two  fingers,  an'  not  a  drap  more.^ 

"Jest  another  fiu,2:er,  Sally.  Eemeniber,  yo've  bin  Qif-^l 
roush  on  me,  an'  I  need  more.  I'll  promise  t'  be  good/' 
pleaded  Hackberry. 

"No,  not  a  drap  more'n  two  fingers  now.  If  yo"  behave 
yo'self  I'll  sive  yo'  another  tvro  fingers  by-an'-by." 

"'Hackberrv  swallowed  his  portion  at  a  thirsty  gui^j  and 
sat  down  on  the  door-sill  to  let  it  do  its  invigorating 
work.   The  other  two  guerrillas  were  given  each  two 


408 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHOKTY. 


fingers,  and  the  man  whom  Si  knocked  down  had  his 
moanings  rewarded  by  three  fingers  and  a  liberal  appli- 
cation in  addition  to  the  ^vound  on  his  head,  which  he 
declared  was  much  relieved  by  it. 

^^Set  your  guns  up  agin  the  wall  an'  ack  nacherul," 
commanded  Mrs.  Bolster.  "Nobody's  a-gwine  to  hurt  jo\ 
The  'Squire'll  be  here  soon,  we'll  git  spliced,  an'  have  a 
good  iime  all  around," 

The  noisy  barking  of  the  dogs  announced  the  ap- 
proach of  someone. 

"Lordj  I  hope  that's  'Squire  Corson,"  said  Mrs.  Bolster, 
running  eagerly  to  the  door.  "If  hit's  him,  we  kin  go 
light  ahead  with  the  weddin'," 

"If  that's  the  'Squire,"  said  Shorty,  in  iow  whisper, 
without  turning  his  head,  "we'll  grab  our  guns  and  fight 
to  the  death.    AVe  may  clean  out  this  gang." 

Si's  attention  had  been  in  the  meanwhile  attracted  to 
some  boxes  concealed  under  the  beds,  and  his  curiosity 
was  aroused  as  to  what  such  unusual  things  in  a  cabin 
might  contain. 

"No;  hit's  Capt.  SoL  Simmons,"  said  she  in  a  tone  of 
disappointment  mixed  with  active  displeasure.  "Now, 
he'll  be  cavortin'  ai-^d  tearin'  around,  and  wantin' t'  kill 
somebody.  I  wish'L  lie  wuz  whar  hit's  a  good  deal  plotter." 

She  came  over  to  where  the  boys  were  sitting,  and  said 
in  a  Itm  tone : 

"This  man's  allers  makin'  trouble,  an'  he's  bad  from 
his  boots  up.  Keep  a  stiff  upper  lip,  both  on  yo',  an' 
w^e'll  try  t'  manage  him.  Don't  weaken.  Hit '11  do  no 
good.    He'll  be  wuss'n  ever  then." 

Si  and  Shorty  instinctively  felt  for  the  revolvers  in  theii 
pockets , 

The  newcomer  tied  his  horse  to  a  sapling  and  strode 
inte  the  house.  The  guerrillas  seemed  rather  more  fear- 
ful th-^n  otherwise  to  see  him,  but  met  him  with  manners 


BREAKING  UP  A  REBEL  NEST. 


409 


tLat  were  ranged  from  respectful  by  Jeff  Haekberry  to 
absolute  servility  by  the  others.  He  was  a  burly,  blaek- 
bearded  man,  wearing  a  faiily-good  uniform  of  a  rebel 
Captain  His  face  shx>wed  that  he  was  a  bully,  and  a 
cruel  one 

He  acknowledged  in  an  overbearing  way  the  greetings 
Gf  the  others,  and  called  out  imperiously: 

"Sal,  gi'  me  a  stiff  dram  o^  yer  best  at  wunst.  My 
throat's  drier'n  a  lime-kiln.    Bin  ridin'  all  mornin*.'* 

"Folks  w^antin'  likker  don't  say  must  t'  me,  but  will 
yo',  an'  please,"  she  answered  sulkily. 

"'Must,'  'please,'  yo'  hag,"  he  said  savagely.  "Talk 
that  a-way  to  me.  I'll  'please'  yo'.  I've  killed  two  Yan- 
kees this  mornin',  an'  I'm  not  in  the  humor  to  fool  around 
vi'ith  an  old  pennyroyal  huzzy  like  yo'.  Gi'  me  some 
whisky  at  wunst,  or  I'll  baste  yo'." 

If  ever  Mrs.  Bolster  had  been  favorably  disposed  to 
him,  she  could  not  endure  to  have  him  treat  her  this 
way  before  Shorty.  She  would  assert  herself  before  him 
if  eve; 

She  put  her  arms  akimbo  and  retorted  Ttforously: 
"Nary  drap  o'  likker  yo'll  git  from  me,  Sol.  Simmons. 
Go  and  git  yer  likker  whar  y're  welcome.  Y're  net  wel- 
come here.  I  don't  keer  if  yo'  have  killed  two  Yankees 
or  20  Yankees.  Y're  allers  talkin'  about  killin'  YankeeSj, 
but  nobody  never  sees  none  that  y've  killed.  I'm  a  bet- 
ter Confederit  than  yo'  ever  dared  be.  I'm  dmn-  iiioce  f©r 
the  Southern  Confedrisy.  Y're  allers  a-blowin'  while  I'm 
allers  a-doin'.  Everybody  knows  that.  Talk  about  the 
tw^o  Yankees  y've  killed,  an'  which  nobody's  seed,  here 
I've  brung  two  Yankees  right  outen  their  cainps,  an' 
have  'em  to  show.  More'n  that,  they're  gwine  ^'  Ime 
we'uns." 

She  indicated  the  two  boys  with  a  wave  of  ker  hand. 
Simmons  seemed  to  se^  ik&m      the  first  time. 


410 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHOETY. 


"Yankees  liere,  an'  yo'  haint  killed  'em/'  be  yelled. 
He  put  his  hand  to  his  revolver  and  stepped  forward. 
The  two  boys  jumped  up  and  snatched  their  guns,  but 
before  another  move  could  be  made  Mrs.  Bolster's  un- 
failing trip  brought  Simmons  heavily  to  the  floor,  with 
his  revolver  half  out  the  holster.  In  an  instant  she  sat 
down  heavily  upon  him,  and  laid  her  brawny  hand  upon 
his  pistol.  The  dogs  and  children  gathered  around  in 
joyous  expectation  of  a  renewal  of  general  hostilities. 
But  the  dogs  broke  away  at  the  scent  or  sight  of  someone 
approaching. 

"Mebbe  that's  'Squire  Corson,"  said  Mrs.  Bolster  with 
a  renewed  flush  of  pleasant  anticipation. 

Instead,  a  rather  good-looking  young  rebel  officer  wear- 
ing a  Major's  silver  stars  dismounted  from  his  horse 
and,  followed  by  two  men,  entered  the  cabin. 

"ITello,  Simmons,"  said  the  Major  in  a  tone  of  strong 
rebuke  as  soon  as  he  ejitered.  "What  in  the  world  are 
you  doing  here?  Is  this  the  way  you  carry  out  the  Gen- 
eral's orders?  You're  at  your  old  tricks  again.  You 
were  sent  out  here  early  this  morning,  to  capture  or  drive 
away  that  Yankee  picket  at  Eaccoon  Ford,  so  as  to  let 
Capt.  Gillen  r-ome  through  with  his  pack-mules.  I  ex- 
pected to  meet  him  here  and  go  on  with  him.  Your  men 
have  been  waiting  at  the  crossroads  for  you  since  day- 
light, while  you've  been  loitering  around  the  rear.  I 
ought  to  have  you  shot,  and  you  woidd  be  if  I  reported 
thi^  to  the  General.  You  ekiilking  \\help,  you  ought  to 
be  shot.  But  I'll  give  you  one  more  chance.  It  may  not 
be  'coo  late  yet.  Break  for  your  place  as  fast  as  you  can, 
and  take  these  whelps  with  you.  I'll  wait  here  till  sun- 
down for  you.  If  you  don't  report  back  to  me  by  thai 
time  you'd  better  make  your  will.    Jump,  now." 

Mrs.  Bolster  had  let  go  of  Simmons  as  this  exordium 
proceeded,  or  she  felt  that  he  was  in  good  hands. 


BREAKING  UP  A  EEBEL  NESTe 


HI 


As  they  disappeared  the  Major  turned  to  Mrs.  Bolster 

and  inquired : 

^*Did  Capt.  Gillen  get  through  with  that  q-jinine  and 
guucaps?" 

"They're  thar/'  she  said,  pointing  to  the  boxes  under 
the  beds. 

"Very  good.  Vve  brought  some  men  to  take  them 
away.    VVe  need  them  very  badly.    Who  are  these  men?" 

Mrs.  Bolster  told  her  stoiy  about  how  they  were  tired 
of  the  Abolition  war,  and  had  yielded  to  her  persuasions 
to  join  the  Southern  army. 

The  Major  looked  them  over  sharply,  and  began  a 
close  cross-questioning  as  to  where  they  were  born,  what 
regiment  they  belonged  to,  how  long  they  had  been  in 
the  service,  what  battles  they  had  been  engaged  in  and 
on  what  part  of  the  field,  where  their  regiment  now  was, 
its  brigade,  division  and  corps,  commanders,  etc.,  etc. 

As  Shorty  did  not  see  any  present  occasion  for  lying, 
he  had  no  trouble  in  telling  a  convincing,  straightforward 
story.  Si  successfully  worked  the  loss-of-voice  racket, 
and  left  the  burden  of  conversation  to  his  partner. 

The  Major  seemed  satisfied,  and  said  at  the  conclu- 
sion: 

"Very  good.  Fll  take  you  back  with  me  when  f  return, 
and  place  you  in  a  good  regiment.'' 

This  was  a  new  and  startling  prospect,  which  was  al- 
most too  much  for  Shorty's  self-control.  For  a  minute 
he  had  wild  thoughts  of  assassinating  the  Major  then 
and  there,  and  making  a  run  for  life.  But  he  decided  to 
wait  a  little  longer  and  see  what  would  develop. 

If  Mrs.  Bolster's  hue  had  permitted  she  would  hare 
turned  pale  at  this  threatened  loss  of  a  husband  and  up- 
setting of  all  her  plans.  She  merely  gulped  down  a  lump 
in  her  throat  and  seemed  to  be  thinking. 

She  became  very  attentive  to  the  Major^  and  brought 


412 


SI  KLEGG  AND  SHOETY. 


for  Ms  edification  a  private  bottle  of  fine  oldwiilsky. 
She  set  about  preparing  something  for  them  to  eat. 

Again  the  dogs  barked,  and  in  walked  a  man  dressed 
in  the  fatigue  uniform  of  a  Union  soldier  with  the  chevrons 
of  a  Sergeant.  The  boys  gave  a  start  of  surprise,  and  a 
greater  one  when  they  saw  on  his  cap: 

A 

200  Ind.  Vols. 

Si  would  have  sprung  up  to  greei;  him,  but  Shorty  laid 
a  restraining  hand,  and  whispered: 
"He  don't  belong  to  our  regiment." 

A  second  glance  satisfied  Si  of  this.  While  it  is  hardly 
^ssibie  for  a  man  to  know  every  other  man  in  his  regi- 
ment, yet  in  a  little  while  there  comes  something  which 
enables  him  to  know  whether  any  man  he  meets  does  or 
does  not  belong  to  his  regiment. 

The  Major  and  Mrs.  Bolster  instantly  recognized  the 
newcomer. 

"Awful  glad  to  see  you,  Tuggers,"  said  the  Major,  ris- 
ing and  shaking  his  hand.  "Did  you  get  through  v»ith- 
OLit  any  trouble?" 

"Not  a  bit  o'  trouble,  thanks  to  you  and  Mrs.  Bolster 
here.  She  got  me  this  uniform  and  this  cap,"  said  Tug- 
gers, taking  off  the  latter  article  and  scanning  the  letter- 
ing. "Eather  more  brass  than  I'm  in  the  habit  of  carry- 
ing on  top  of  my  head,  no  matter  hov/  much  I  have  in  my 
face.  I  got  your  note  giving  me  the  positions  of  the 
Yankee  regiments,  for  which  I  suppose  we  must  also 
thank  Mrs.  Bolster.  I  found  them  all  correct.  As  the 
200th  Ind.  was  the  farthest  out,  I  had  no  difficulty  get- 
ting through  the  rest  of  them  by  saying  that  I  was  on 
my  way  to  my  regiment.  Of  course,  I  didn't  come  through 
the  camp  of  the  200th  Ind.,  but  modestly  sought  a  by- 
road which  Mrs.  Bolster  had  put  me  onto.    I've  got  a  lot 


BEEAKIXG  UP  A  EEBZL  XEST. 


413 


of  important  letters  from  tlie  mail  in  Nas}i\aLle,  among 
which  aie  some  letters  for  the  General^  which  I  am  told 
are  highly  important.  I'm  mighty  glad  to  be  able  to  j^ilace 
them  in  your  hands,  and  relieve  myself  of  the  respoiisi- 
bility.  Here  they  are.  Thanks,  I  don't  care  if  I  do,  since 
you  press  me  so  hard/''  said  he,  without  change  of  voice, 
as  he  handed  over  the  letters  and  picked  up  the  bottle 
and  tin  cup. 

"Excuse  me,  Tuggers,  for  not  asking  you  before,"  said 
the  Major.  "I  was  so  interested  in  you  and  your  letters  I 
forgot  for  the  moment  that  you  might  be  thirsty.  Help 
your  sell." 

"I  didn't  forget  it,"  said  Tuggers,  pouring  out  a  liberal 
dram.  ^'Here's  to  our  deserving  selves  and  our  glorious 
Cause." 

A  shy  ^irl  of  about  eight  had  responded  to  Si's  per* 
sistent  encouiagement,  and  sidled  up  to  him,  examining 
his  buttons  and  accouterments.  Si  gave  her  some  but- 
tons he  had  in  his  pocket,  and  showed  her  his  knife 
and  other  trinkets  in  his  pockets.  The  other  children 
began  to  gather  around,  mtich  intejested  in  the  elaborate 
dumb  show  he  was  making  of  his  inability  to  speal^ 

Again  the  do,o-s  barked.  Mrs.  Bolster  ran  to  the  door. 
"Hit's  'Squire  Corson,"  she  exclaimed  joyously,  and 
hustled  around  to  make  extra  preparations  for  his  enter- 
tainment. 

The  'Squire  entered,  mopping  hiy  face  with  his  ban- 
dana, and  moving  with  the  deliberation  and  dignity  con- 
sistent with  his  omcial  position. 

He  looked  at  the  boys  with  a  severe,  judicial  eye,  and 
gave  the  ominous  little  cough  with  which  he  was  wo:a< 
to  precede  sentences.  But  he  recognized  the  Major  and 
Tu^^aers.  and  immediately  his  attention  was  centered  in 
them.   They  were  connected  with  Army  Headquarters; 


414 


m  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY 


they  were  repositories  of  news  whicli  he  could  spread 
among  his  constituents.  He  greeted  them  effusively, 
and  was  only  too  glad  to  accept  their  invitation  to  sit 
down  and  drink.  But  he  suggested,  with  official  pru- 
dence, that  they  go  out  in  front  and  sit  under  a  tree, 
where  they  could  converse  more  at  liberty. 

"Afore  you  go  out,  'Squire,"  said  Mrs.  Bolster,  with  an 
attempt  at  coyness,  "I  want  yo' t'  do  a  little  job  fer  me." 

Shorty's  hair  tried  to  stand  on  end. 

"Jest  wait  a  little,  my  good  woman,"  said  the  'Squire 
patronizingly.  "I  want  to  talk  to  these  gentlemen  first; 
I  kin  'tend  to  your  matter  any  time." 

They  lighted  their  pipes,  and  ^IJked  and  talked,  while 
Mrs.  Bolster  fidgeted  around  in  gii^sting  anxiety.  Finally, 
as  the  sun  was  going  down,  she  could  stand  it  no  longer, 
and  approached  the  group. 

"'Squire,"  she  said,  "I'm  orferly  anxious  to  have  a  lit- 
tle job  o'  mine  done.  'Twon't  take  yo'  five  minnits. 
Please  'tend  to  it  right  away.'* 

"What  is  it  she  wants?"  inquired  the  Major. 

"I  think  she  wants  me  to  marry  her  to  a  Yankee  de- 
serter in  there.  She  whispered  suthin'  o'  that  kind  to 
^e  awhile  ago." 

•That  reminds  me,"  eaid  the  Major;  "I  want  you  to 
swear  thos^  two  men  i\  -/to  the  serv-'te  of  the  S(3  athem 
Confederacy.  You  mighv  as  well  do  it  now,  if  you  please, 
for  I  want  to  take  them  back  with  me  and  put  thi^m  into 
a  regiment.** 

"That  won't  give  much  of  a  honeymoon  to  Mrs.  Bol- 
ster," grinned  the  'Squire. 

"AVell,  we've  all  got  to  make  sacrifices  for  the  Cause," 
said  the  Major;  "her  koneymooia'il  be  the  sweeter  for  be- 
ing postponed.    I've  had  to  postpone  mine." 

"Well,  bring  the  men  out,"  said  the  'Squire,  gouring 
himself  out  another  drink. 


BEEAKIXG-  UP  A  EEBEL  NEST.  415 

Si  and  Shorty  bad  moved  to  the  frout  door  when  Mrs.- 
Bolster  went  out.  and  could  hear  the  whole  conTersation, 
They  looked  at  one  another.    Their  faces  were  whitsr 
than  ihey  had  ever  been  on  the  field  of  baitle. 

^'Take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  Southern  Coni'ed- 
eracy?  Die  right  here  a  htmdred  times,''  surged  through 
both  their  hearts. 

Si  pulled  the  bunches  of  firecrackers  from  his  pocket, 
undid  them  before  the  children's  wondering  eyes.  He 
went  throuiih  a  pantomime  to  tell  them  to  take  a  coal  from 
the  firej  rtm  out  back  with  them,  and  touch  it  to  the 
fuses. 

''Take  a  coal,  run  back,  and  tech  it  to  them  strin^^s," 
said  Shorty,  forgetting  himself  in  his  excitement.  •'It'll 
be  the  greatest  fun  ye'  ever  saw.'^ 

''"What's  that  y're  sayiii'?'''  said  ^Irs.  Bolster. 

'•'Jest  talkiit'  to  the  children/''  said  Shorty,  seeing  with 
relief  the  children  bolt  out  of  the  back  door.    He  slipped  . 
his  hand  on  his  revolver,  determined  to  kill  the  'Squire, 
the  Major,  and  the  other  three  men  before  he  would  takf 
a  svllable  of  the  oath. 

''•'Come  out  here,  men,-'  said  the  Major  autlioritativebf, 
Si  slipped  his  hand  into  his  pocket,  grasped  his  revolver, 
and  walked  forward  very  slowly. 

•'•'Ahem,'*'  said  the  'Sqtiire,  with  an  oiUcial  cougk, 
^'Raise  ver  rio-ht  hands,  and  repeat  these  words  after  me, 
givin'  your  own  names.'' 

The  other  rebels  took  off  their  hats. 

The  dogs  raised  a  clamor,  which  directed  all  eyes  *<> 
the  road,  Sol  Simmons  and  the  rest  could  be  seen  com^ 
iuL'"  on  a  dead  run. 

'•What  does  that  mean?"  said  the  Major  anxiously 
At  the  same  instant  there  was  a  series  of  crashes  be 
kind  the  house;  the  hrecrackers  vrere  going  off  like  £ 
Tolley  .if  -if.e- shots.-,    Tlie  Major  whirled  arouna  ;r  -s^ 


416 


BI  KLEGN5  AND  SHOETt. 


what  that  meant,  and  l@^^ed  into  the  muzzle  of  Shorty's 
revolver. 

"Surrender,  or  I'll  kill  5*^/1},"  shouted  Shorty  desperately. 
"Don't  stop  a  minit.   Throw  up  your  hands,  I  tell  you." 

Si  was  making  a  similar  demand  on  Tuggers,  while 
*he  ^Squire  was  standing,  open-mouthed,  with  the  first 
word  of  the  oath  apparently  still  on  his  tongue. 

The  Major  sprang  at  Shorty,  whose  bullet  cut  his  hair. 
The  next  bullet  caught  the  officer  in  the  shoulder,  and 
he  reeled  and  went  down.  Si  was  not  so  fortunate  with 
Tuggers,  who  succeeded  in  grappling  him.  Simmons 
dashed  by  and  struck  Si,  in  passing,  with  his  list,  which 
sent  him  to  the  ground,  with  Tuggers  on  top. 

The  next  minute  the  'Squire,  who  was  the  only  one 
who  had  any  opportunity  to  look,  saw  Ya'^ikees  pop  out 
of  the  brush  and  jump  the  fences  in  a  long,  irregular  line 
which  immediately  sunound-ed  the  house.  Capt.  Mc- 
Gillicuddy  cut  down  Siminons  with  his  sword,  and  the 
rest  incontinently  surrendered. 

'•'We  ha^^  got  tired  of  waiting,  and  were  on  the  point  of 
dashing  in  anyhow,  when  we  heard  the  firecrackers,'" 
ivuid  Capt.  Mclxilli cuddy,  after  the  prisoners  had  been  se- 
cv-r^jd  and  things  quieted  down.  "That  fellow  that  I  cut 
down  was  out  there  ^vith  a  squad  and  caught  sight  of  us, 
and  started  back  this  Avay,  and  I  concluded  to  follow  him 
up  and  jump  the  house.    Neither  of  you  hurt,  are  you?" 

''Not  hurt  a  mite,"  answered  Shorty  cheerfully,  but 
i^'s  the  closest  squeak  I  ever  had.  Wouldn't  go  through 
n  agin  for  a  pile  o'  greenbacks  big  as  a  cornshock.  Say, 
Cap.3  you've  made  a  ten-strike  to-day  that  ought  to  make 
a  Mi^^^fe  frsart  house's  plum  full  0'  contraband,  and 
there's  a  lot  o'  important  letters  there.  But,  say,  Cap., 
1  want  you  to  either  kill  that  'Squire  or  git  him  as  fur 
uway  as  possible.  I  ain't  safe  a  minnit  as  long  as  himr 
and  that  av Oman's  a-nigh  me.'* 


AN   UNEXPECTED  MAERUaS. 


417 


CHAPTER  XXXT, 

AN  UNEXPECTED  MAEEIAGi; 

The  rebel  Major  accepted  the  unexpected  turn  o!  events 
with  soldierly  philosophy.  Tuggers^  captured  in  a  blue 
uniform^  saw  the  ignominious  fate  of  a  spy  loom  up  be- 
fore his  eyes.  His  face  grew  very  white  and  set.  He 
sat  down  on  a  log,  looked  far  away,  and  seemed  oblivi- 
ous to  everything  around  him. 

Jeff  Hackberrv  and  Sol  Siramons  were  frightened  into 
nerveless  terror,  and  occasionally  sighed  and  groaned 
audibly.  Their  men  huddled  together  like  frightened 
sheep,  and  looked  anxiously  at  every  move  of  their  captors. 

^Squire  Corson  had  ventured  two  or  three  remarks  in  a' 
judicial  and  advisory  way,  but  had  been  ordered  by  Capt. 
McG-illicuddy  to  sit  down  and  keep  quiet.  He  took  a 
seat  on  a  stump,  pulled  a  large  bandana  out  of  his  beaver 
crowned  hat,  wiped  his  bald  head,  and  anxiously  sur- 
veyed the  scene  as  if  looking  for  an  opportunity  when 
the  power  and  dignity  of  the  State  of  Tennessee  might 
be  invoked  to  advantage. 

Only  Mrs,  Bolster  retained  her  aggressiveness  and  her 
tongue.  If  anything,  she  seemed  to  be  more  savage  and 
virulent  than  ever.  She  was  wild  that  she  had  been 
outwitted,  and  particularly  by  Si,  whose  fluent  speech, 
had  returned  the  moment  the  firecrackers  went  off.  She 
poured  out  volleys  of  scorching  epithets  on  all  the  Yan- 
kees from  President  Lincoln  down  to  Corp'l  Si  Ivlegg, 
and  fervently  invoked  for  them  speedy  death  and  eternal 
torment  where  the  worm  dieth  not  and  the  fire  is  noi 
quenched. 

Capt.  McGillicuddy  rounded  up  his  prisoner's-,  took 
arms  from  those  who  still  retained  them,  had  Si  and 
Shorty  do  what  they  could  toward  dressing  the  Major's 
wound,  and  then  began  an  examination  of  the  house. 

He  found  abundant  evidence  of  all  that  he.  Si  and 
Shorty  had  believed  of  it.  It  was  a  rendezvous  for  sjiios, 
both  great  and  small — both  those,  like  Mrs.  Bolster,  who 


418 


SI  KLEGG  ANB  SHORTY. 


infested  our  camps,  and  got  news  of  whatever  was  gom^ 
on  there,  and  those  who  operated  on  a  larger  scale,  pass- 
ing directly  from  the  Headquarters  of  the  rebels  to  the 
Headquarters  of  ours,  and  to  the  rear,  and  the  sources  of 
information  at  Nashville  and  Louisville.  It  was  an  im- 
portant station  on  the  route  for  smuggling  gun-caps, 
quinine,  medicines  and  other  contraband  from  the  North. 
Quantities  of  these  were  there  waiting  to  be  forwarded. 
As  the  source  of  the  fighting  whisky  introduced  into  the 
camp  of  the  200th  Ind.  too  much  was  known  of  it  to  re- 
quire any  further  information.  And  it  was  more  than 
probable  that  it  was  the  scene  of  darker  crimes — Union 
soldiers  lured  thither  under  some  pretext,  murdered  and 
robbed. 

"How  in  the  world  am  I  going  to  break  this  infernal 
nest  up?"  said  Capt.  McGillicuddy,  with  a  puzzled  air, 
after  he  had  ordered  the  whisky  destroyed  and  the  other 
things  gotten  in  shape  to  send  back  to  camp.  "By 
rights,  I  ought  to  burn  that  house  down,  but  that  would 
leave  all  these  children  without  shelter.  By  the  same 
token,  I  ought  to  shoot  or  at  least  send  off  to  prison  that 
old  she-catamount,  but  that  would  mean  starving  the 
children  to  death.    1  declare,  I  don't  know  what  to  do." 

He  had  drawn  apart  a  little  with  Si  and  Shorty^  to 
whom  he  spoke  confidentially,  while  casting  his  eves 
about  him  as  if  seeking  some  solution  of  the  problem. 

"If  you'll  allow  me.  Captain,"  said  Shorty,  "I've  an 
idee.  Now  that  we've  got  the  trap,  let's  set  it  agin,  and 
see  if  we  can't  ketch  some  more." 

"Splendid  idea.  Shorty,"  said  the  Captain,  catching^  on 
at  once. 

"And  my  idee,"  said  Shorty,  emboldened  by  the  recep- 
tion of  his  first  suggestion,  "is  that  you  lake  all  the  com- 
pany but  me  and  Si  and  four  or  five  of  the  boys  back  to 
camp,  leavin'  us  here  until  to-morrow  at  least.  There'll 
probably  some  very  interestin'  men  happen  along  here  to- 
night, not  knowing  what's  happened,  and  we'll  jest 
quietly  yank  'em  in." 

"That's  good,"  assented  the  Captain. 

"In  the  meantime,"  continued  Shorty,  ^yim  kin  be  con- 
siderin'  what  you'll  do  with  the  house.    It  may  be  best 


AN   UNEXPECTED  MARRIA.GE 


419 


to  let  it  stand,  and  watcli  it.  That's  a  good  way  to  do 
with  a  bee-  tree  or  a  woodchuck  hole. 

"1  believe  you  are  right.  I'll  do  as  you  say.  Si,  you 
and  Shorty  ick  out  as  many  men  as  you  want  to  stay 
with  you,  rii  leave  one  of  these  horses  with  you.  If 
you  should  happen  to  need  any  more,  mount  one  of  the 
boys  and  send  him  back  for  help.  I'll  come  out  with  tho 
whole  company." 

Shorty  and  Si  consulted  together  for  a  few  minutes, 
picked  out  their  men,  gave  their  names  to  the  Captain, 
and  received  his  assent  to  the  selection.  Then  Shorty 
said: 

^'Captain,  you  don't  want  to  take  that  old  woman,  the 
^Squire  and  that  skunk  they  call  Jeff  Hackberry  back  to 
camp  with  you,  do  you?  Leave  'em  here  with  us.  I've 
got  a  little  scheme." 

"The  old  woman  and  the  'Squire  you  can  take  and 
welcome,"  ansv\'ered  the  Caj  tain.  "I'll  be  glad  to  have 
them  off  my  hands.  But  Hackberry  is  a  rebel  soldier. 
I  d^n't  know  about  giving  him  up." 

"Leave  him.  vv^ith  us  then.  We'll  turn  him  back  to  you 
all  right,  and  the  old  woman  and  the  'Squire^  too,  if  you 
want  'em." 

"No,"  said  the  Captain,  with  an  impatient  wave  of  his 
hand.  "Keep  them,  do  what  you  please  with  them.  If 
you  should  accidentally  kill  the  old  woman  I  should  not 
be  unduly  distressed.  But  don't  let  Hackberry  get  away 
from  you.  I'll  t^4ve  the  rest  ^Dack  to  camp,  and  I  mwst 
sta'wi  at  once,  i(>£  it  is  getting  late,  and  we  didn't  bring 
any  rations  with  us.  Do  you  suppose  you  can  find 
enough  around  the  house  to  keep  you  till  morning?" 

yes,"  said  Si.  "There^^s  a  sack  of  meal  in  there 
and  some  side-meat.  We  gave  the  old  woman  a  lot  of 
coffee.    We'll  make  out  all  right." 

The  prisoners  had  been  watching  the  Captain  and  his 
men  with  greatest  anxiety.  They  now  saw  Si  with  his 
squad  take  the  'Squire,  Mrs.  Bolster  and  Hackberry  off  to 
one  side,  while  the  Captain  placed  the  remainder  of  the 
prisoners  in  the  center  of  his  company  and  started  back 
to  camp  with  them.   There  was  something  in  this  sepa- 


420  Si   KLECG   AND  SHOETY.  .| 

ration  tliat  terrified  even  Mrs.  Bolster^  who  stopped  rail- 
ing and  began  to  look  frightened. 

'^What  are  yo'uns  goin'  to  do  with  we'uns,"  she  inr' 
quired  hoarsely  of  Si. 

"You'll  find  out  soon  enough/'  said  Si  significantly, 
"Set  down  there  on  that  log  and  think  about  what  you 
deserve.  You  might  put  in  any  spare  time  you  have  in 
doing  some  big  repentin'.'' 

Hackberry  began  to  whine  and  beg  for  mercy,  but 
Shorty  ordered  him  to  keep  silent. 

"I  want  you  to  understand,"  said  the  ' Squire ;  "that  I'm 
a  regerlarly  elected  and  qualified  Magistrate  o'  the  State, 
o'  Tennessee;  that  I'm  not  subjeck  to  military  laws,  and 
if  any  harm  comes  to  me  you'll  have  to  answer  for  it  to 
the  State  o'  Tennessee." 

"Blast  the  State  o'  Tennessee,"  said  Shorty  con- 
temptuously. "When  we  git  through  there  won't  be  no 
State  o'  Tennessee.  It'll  be  roasting  in  the  same  log- 
heap  with  South  Carol iny  and  Virginny,  with  Jeff  Davis 
brilin'  in  the  middle." 

"Boys,"  ordered  Si,  "a  couple  of  you  look  around  the 
house  and  if  see  you  can't  find  a  mattock  and  shovel." 

Terrible  fears  assailed  the  three  unhappy  prisoners  at 
this.  What  could  a  mattock  and  shovel  be  wanted  for 
but  to  dig  their  graves? 

Shorty  stepped  over  a  little  distance  to  a  large  clump 
of  "red-sticks."  These  grow^  in  long  wands  of  brilliant 
red,  as  straight  as  a  corn-stalk,  and  slenderer.  They 
are  much  used  about  the  farms  of  the  South  for  rods  for 
rough  measurement.  He  cut  one  ofi  about  six  feet  long 
and  stripped  off  its  leaves.  The  anxious  eyes  of  the 
prisoners  followed  every  movement. 

Two  of  the  boys  appeared  with  an  olyf  mattock  and 
6  hovel. 

^'Guess  you'd  better  dig  right  over  there,"  said  Si,  in- 
dicating a  little  bare  knoll. 

"Nothin'  else's  ever  bin  planted  there.  At  least 
nothin's  ever  come  up.  The  chances  are  agin  their 
comin'  up  if  we  plant  'em  there." 

"Stand  up,"  said  Shorty,  approaching  Hackberry  with 
the  bright  crimson  rod  in  his  hand,   ^Mm  goiu'  to  meas- 


AN   UNEXPECTED  MARRIAGE. 


21 


lire  yon  for  a  grass-green  suit  tliat'll  last  you  till  Gabriel 
blows  his  horn.*' 

Hackberry  gave  a  howl  of  terror.  The  'Squire  and  Mrs. 
Bolster  began  a  clamor  of  protests. 

"Don't  fuss/'  said  Shorty  calmly  to  them,  as  he  took 
Hackberry 's  dimensions.  "I  ain't  goin'  to  show  no  par- 
tiality. I'll  serve  you  both  the  same  way.  Your  turns'H 
come  after  his'n." 

The  children,  aware  that  something  unusual  was  going 
on,  yet  unable  to  comprehend  what  it  w^as,  stood  silently 
around,  their  fingers  in  their  mouths  and  their  vacant 
eyes  fixed  in  the  stolid  stare  of  the  mountaineer  youth. 
Even  the  dogs  were  quiet,  and  seemed  watching  the  scene 
with  more  understanding  than  the  children. 

Mrs.  Bolster's  mood  suddenly  changed  from  bitter 
vituperation.  She  actually  burst  into  tears,  and  began 
pleading  for  her  life,  and  making  earnest  promises  as  to 
better  conduct  in  the  future.  The  'Squire  and  Hack- 
berry followed  suit,  and  blubbered  like  schoolboys.  Mrs. 
Bolster  reminded  Si  and  Shorty  how  she  had  saved  them 
from  being  killed  by  the  fierce  Hackberry  and  the  still 
fiercer  Simmons.  This  seemed  to  move  them.  She  tried 
a  ghastly  travesty  of  feminine  blandishments  by  telling 
Shorty  how  handsome  she  had  thought  him,  and  had 
fallen  in  love  with  him  at  first  sight.  Shorty  gave  a 
grimace  at  this.  He  and  Si  stepped  back  a  little  for 
consultation. 

When  they  came  back  Shorty  said  oracularly: 

*'Our  orders  is  strict,  and  we  should've  carried  'em  out 
at  once.  But,  talkin'  with  my  partner  here,  we're  re- 
minded o'  somethin'.  We  believe  it's  the  law  that  when 
a  man  or  woman  is  sentenced  to  death  the  execution  hm 
be  put  off  if  they  kin  find  anybody  to  marry  'em.  Is  that 
good  law,  'Squire?" 

"H-m-m,"  answered  the  Magistrate,  resuming  his  judi- 
cial manner  at  once;  "that  is  a  general  belief,  and  I've 
hea^'d  o'  some  instances  of  it.  But  before  savin'  posi- 
tively, I  should  like  to  examine  the  authorities  an'  hear 
argyment," 

"TVell,  ^ii-^re  haint  goin^  to  be  no  continuance  in  this 
case  for  you  to  look  u|)  authorities  and  hear  arguments," 


422 


SI   KXEGG   AND  SHOETY. 


said  Shorty  decisively.  "We're  the  higher  court  m  this 
case^  and  we  decided  that  the  law's  good  enough  for  it. 
We've  settled  that  if  Mrs.  Bolster'll  marry  Hackberry, 
and  Hackberry'il  marry  Mrs.  Bolster^  and  you'll  marry 
'em  both^  we'll  grant  a  stay  o'  proceedings  in  the  matter 
o'  the  execution  o'  the  sentence  o'  death  until  we  kin  be 
advised  by  the  higher  authorities." 

"I'll  do  anything,  Mister/'  blubbered  Hackberry.  ''I'll 
marry  her  this  minnit.    Say  the  words,  'Squire." 

"I'v^e  said  i'd  rather  die  10  times  over  than  marry  yo', 
Jeff  Hackberry,"  murmured  Mrs.  Bolster.  "I've  bin  the 
wdfe  o'  one  ornery  snipe  of  a  whisky -  sucking  sang- digger, 
and  w^ien  the  Lord  freed  me  from  him  I  said  I'd  never 
git  yoked  wdth  another.  But  I  s'pose  I've  got  to  live  for 
my  children,  though  the  Lord  knows  the  yaller-headed 
brats  haint  wuth  hit.  They're  everyone  of  'em  their  dad 
over  agin — all  Bolsters,  and  not  wuth  the  powder  to  blow 
'em  to  kingdom  come.  I'd  a  heap  ruther  marry  Jeff 
Hackberry  to  make  sure  o'  havin'  him  shot  than  to  save 
him  from  shootin'." 

"You  »haint  no  choice,  Madam/'  said  Shorty  severely. 
**Law  and  orders  is  strict  on  that  pint." 

"WeM,  then,"  said  she,  "since  hit's  a  ch'ice  Detwi'ct 
death  and  Jeff  Hackberry,  I'll  take  Jeff  Hackberry; 
though  I  wouldn't  take  him  on  no  other  terms,  and  I'm 
afeared  I'm  makin'  a  mistake  as  hit  is." 

"What  do  you  say,  'Squire?"  asked  Shorty. 

"I've  bin  studyin'  on  jest  whar  I  come  in,"  answered 
the  Magistrate.  "These  tw^o  save  their  necks  by  marry- 
in',  but  do  you  understand  that  the  law  says  that  the 
Magistrate  who  marries  'em  gits  his  neck  saved?" 

"The  court  is  not  clear  on  that  as  a  p'int  o'  law,"  said 
Shorty;  "but  in  the  present  case  it'll  hold  that  the 
'Squire  who  does  the  splicin'  gets  as  much  of  a  rake-off 
as  the  rest.  This  is  not  to  be  considered  a  precedent, 
how^ever." 

"All  right,"  assented  the  'Squire;  "let  the  couple  jme 
hands." 

With  an  air  of  glad  relief,  Hackberry  sprang  up  and  put 
out  his  hand.  Mrs.  Bolster  came  up  more  slowly  and 
reluctantly  grasped  his  hairy  fist  in  her  large,  skinny 


AN   UNEXPECTED  MARRIAGK 


423 


Iiand.  The  'Squire  stood  up  before  them  in  his  most 
impressive  attitude. 

"Hold  on/'  saddenly  called  out  Tom  Welch,  who  was 
the  "guard-house  lav/yer"  of  Co.  Q,  and  constantly  draw- 
ing the  "Regulations,"  the  "Tactics/'  and  the  "Constitu- 
tion and  Laws  of  the  United  States,'*  in  which  he  was 
sharply  proficient,  upon  members  of  the  regiment.  "I 
raise  the  point  that  that  'Squire  can't  officiate  until  be 
has  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  United  States. '* 

Si  and  Shorty  looked  at  one  another. 

''That's  a  good  point/'  said  Si.  He's  got  to  take  the 
oath  of  allegiance." 

"Never/'  shouted  the  'Squire,  who  had  begun  to  recover 
his  self-confidence.  "Never,  as  long  as  I  live.  I've 
sworn  allegiance  to  the  Southern  Confederacy,  and  won't 
take  no  other  oath." 

"Grave  for  one!"  called  out  Shorty  to  the  boys  with  the 
pick  and  slmvel,  as  if  he  were  giving  an  order  in  a  restau- 
rant.   "Full  size,  and  hurry  up  w^th  it." 

He  picked  up  his  measuring  rod  and  started  to  take 
the  'Squire's  dimensions. 

The  'Squire  wilted  at  once.  "1  s'pose  I've  got  to  yield 
to  force,"  he  muttered.    "I'll  take  the  oath." 

"Who  knows  the  oath?"  inquired  Si.    "Do  yoii;  Tom?'* 

**'Not  exactly,"  replied  Tom,  non-plused  for  once.  "But 
I  know  the  oath  we  took  when  mustered  in.  That  ought 
to  do.    What's  good  enough  for  us  is  good  enough  for  him." 

"Go  ahead,"  ordered  Si. 

"We  ought  to  have  a  Bible  by  rights,"  said  Tom. 

"Where  kin  we  find  your  Bible,  Mrs.  Bolster?"  asked  Si. 

"We'uns  air  done  clean  out  o'  Bibles,"  she  said,  rather 
shamefacedly.  "Thar  haint  nary  one  in  the  house,  I 
allers  said  we  orter  have  a  Bible.  Hit  looked  'spectable 
to  have  one  in  the  house.  But  Andy  allers  wanted  every 
cent  to  guzzle  on." 

^'Here's  a  Testament.  That'll  do,"  said  Tom,  handing 
Si  one  which  some  of  the  boys  had  about  him.  "Le's 
make  'em  all  take  the  oath  while  we're  at  it." 

"You'll  all  raise  your  right  hands,"  said  Si,  opening 
the  book.  "Place  your  left  on  this  book,  and  repeat  the 
words  after  that  man  there,  givin'  your  own  names."  Si 


424 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


was  as  solemn  about  it  as  lie  believed  everyone  should 
be  at  sucli  a  ceremony.  Haekberry  and  Mrs.  Bolster 
were  not  sure  vrliicii  ^vere  their  right  hands,  but  Si  finally 
got  them  started,  and  Tom  Welch  repeated  slowly  and 
impressively: 

"You  do  solemnly  swear  to  support  the  Constitution 
and  laws  oi  the  United  States,  and  all  laws  niade  in  pur- 
suance thereof,  against  all  enemies  and  opposers  what- 
soever, whether  foreign  or  domestic,  and  to  obey  the  or- 
ders of  all  officers  duly  appointed  over  you.  So  help  you 
God,  and  kiss  the  book." 

/Mnd  to  quit  liquor  selling,  smuggling,  spying  and  giv- 
ing aid  and  comfort  to  the  enemy,''  added  Shorty,  and 
this  was  joined  to  the  rest  of  the  oath. 

"1  ought  to  have  added  that  they  w  ash  their  faces  once 
a  day,  and  put  more  shortenin'  and  fillin'  in  Mrs.  Bol- 
ster's pies,"  said  Shorty  in  an  undertone  to  Si,  *'But  I 
suppose  we  oughtn't  to  ask  impossible  things." 

,  *Now  go  ahead  with  the  wedding  ceremony,"  ordered 
Si. 

Again  the  'Squire  commanded  them  to  join  hands,  and 
atter  mumbling  over  the  fateful  words  he  pronounced 
Thomas  Jefferson  Haekberry  and  Mrs.  Sarah  Bolster  man 
and  wife. 

"Now,"  said  Shorty,  who  felt  at  last  fully  insured 
against  a  great  danger,  "1  believe  it's  the  law  and  custom 
for  all  the  witnesses  to  a  weddin'  to  see  the  bride  and 
groom  in  bed  together.  You'll  go  inside  the  house  and 
take  one  of  them  beds,  and  after  we've  seen  you  there 
we'll  consider  your  cases  further.  You're  all  right,  any- 
way, until  we  hear  from  camp  to-morrow." 

Amid  the  grins  of  the  rest  of  the  boys  he  conducted  the 
newly-wed  into  the  house. 

He  and  Si  brought  out  the  sack  of  meal,  a  few  cooking 
utensils,  a  side  of  bacon,  and  the  package  of  coffee, 
which  they  gave  to  the  other  boys  to  get  supper  with. 
They  closed  the  door  behind  them,  excluding  the  children 
and  dogs,  and  left  the  pair  to  their  own  reflections. 

"Gentlemen,  what  air  you  gwine  to  do  with  me?"  asked 
the  'Squire.  "I'd  powerful  like  to  git  on  home,  if  you've 
no  fuithex  use  for  me." 


AN   UNEXPECTED  MARRIAGE. 


425 


"We  lifalnt  decided  v/liat  to  do  with  you;  you  old  foment^ 
er  o'  rebellion/'  said  Si.  "We  ought  to  shoot  you  for 
what  you'ye  done  in  stirring  up  these  men  to  fight  us. 
We'll  settle  your  case  to-morrow.  You'll  stay  with  us  till 
theii.  We'll  give  you  your  supper,  and  after  awhile  you 
kin  go  in  and  sleep  in  that  other  bed,  with  the  children." 

Tlie  'Squire  gave  a  dismal  groan  at  the  prospect, 
which  was  lost  on  the  boys,  who  were  very  hungry  and 
hurrying  around  helping  to  get  supper. 

They  built  a  fine  lire  and  cooked  a  bountiful  meal,  of 
"which  all,  including  the  'Squire  and  children,  partook 
heartily.  A.  liberal  portion,  with  big  cups  of  strong  coffee, 
were  sent  into  the  bridal  couple.  As  bed- time  drew  near, 
they  sent  the  'Sv]uire  and  the  children  into  the  house, 
and  divided  themselves  up  into  reliefs  to  watch  daring 
the  ni!>ht. 


# 


426 


SI  KLEGG  AND  SHORTY. 


CHAPTER  XXXVin. 

SI  ANb  SHORTY  WORK  THE  TRAP  SUCCESSFULLY. 

The  boys  were  sitting  around  having  another  smoke 
before  crawling  into  their  blankets^  spread  under  the 
shade  of  the  scraggly  locusts  and  naangy  cedars,  when 
the  dogs  raised  an  alarm. 

**Get  back  under  the  shadow  of  the  trees,  boys,  and 
keep  quiet/'  said  Si. 

"Hello,  the  house!"  came  out  of  the  darkness  at  the 
foot  of  the  hill. 

"Hello,  thar,  yourself,"  answered  Shorty,  imitating  Mrs. 
Bolster's  voice. 

"Hit's  me — Brad  Tingle.    Don't  yo'  know  my  voice? 
Call  off  yer  dogs.    They'll  eat  me  up." 

"Hullo,  Brad;  is  that  ^'?  Whar'd  yo  come  from? 
Git  out,  thar,  Watch!  Lay  down,  Tige!  Begone.  Bones  I 
Come  on  up,  Brnd." 

Shorty's  imitations  of  Mrs.  Bolster's  voice  and  manner 
were  so  good  as  to  deceive  even  the  dogs,  who  changed  * 
their  attitude  of  shrill  defiance  to  one  of  faAvning  welcome. 

"Whar'd  yo'  come  from,  Brad?"  repeated  Shorty  as  the 
newcomer  made  his  way  up  the  narrow,  stony  path. 

'*Jest  from  the  Yankee  camps,"  answered  the  new- 
comer. "Me  an'  Jim  Wyatt's  bin  over  thar  by  that 
Hoosier  camp  tryin' t'  git  the  drop  on  their  Kurnel  as  he 
was  gwine  t'  Brigade  Headquarters.  We  a'most  had  him 
when  a  company  o'  Yankees  that'd  bin  out  in  the 
country  for  something  a'most  run  over  us.  They'uns 
wuz  a-nigh  on  top  o'  we'uns  afore  we  seed  they'uns,  an' 
then  we'uns  had  t'  scatter.  Jim  run  one  way  an'  me 
another.  I  come  back  here  t'  see  ef  yo'  had  any  o'  the 
boys  here.  I  hearn  tell  that  a  passel  o'  Yankee  ossifers 
is  at  a  dance  over  at  the  AVidder  Brewster's,  an'  I  thought 
we'uns  might  done  gether  they'uns  in  ef  we'uns  went 
about  it  right." 

"So  you  kin — so  you  kin,"  said  Shorty,  reaching  out 
from  behind  the  bushes  and  catching  him  by  the  i;ollar. 


SI   AND   SPIOETY    WORK    THE   TRAP.  427 


"And;  to  show  you  howy  I'll  jest  getlier  you  in. 

A  harsh,  prolonged^  sibilant,  far-reaching  hiss  came 
from  the  door  of  the  cabin,  bat  came  too  late  to  warn  Brad 
Tingle  of  the  trap  into  vvhich  he  was  walking. 

I      Shorty  understood  it  at  once.    He  jerked  Tingle  for- 

'  ward  into  Si's  strong  clutch,  and  then  walked  towaid  the 
cabin,  singing  out  angrily: 

"Jeff  Hackberry,  I  want  you  to  make  that  wife  o'  your'n 
mind  her  own  bisness,  and  let  other  people's  alone.  You 
and  her've  got  quite  enough  to  do  to  tend  to  your  honey- 

!  moon,  without  mixing  into  things  that  don't  concern  you. 

I  Take  her  back  to  bed  and  keep  her  there." 

He  went  back  to  Avhere  Si  w^as  disarming  and  search- 

j  mg  Tingle.    The  prisoner  had  a  United  States  musket, 

I  cartridge-box,   canteen,  and  a  new  haversack,  all  of 
which  excited  Shorty's  ire. 

"You  hound,  yf^ai,"  he  said,  taking  him  by  the  throat 
with  a  fierce  grasp,  "you've  bin  bushw^hacking,  and  got 
these  things  off  some  soldier  you  sneaked  onto  and  killed. 
We  ought  to  kill  you  right  now,  like  we  would  a  dog." 

"No,  Mister,  I  haint  killed  nobody;  I  swar  t'  God  I 
haint,"  gurgled  the  prisoner,  trying  to  release  his  throat 
from  Shorty's  grip. 

"YVhere'd  you  git  these  things?"  demanded  Shorty. 
"Mrs.  Bolster  gi'  me  the  gun  an'  cartridge-box;  I  done 
found  the  canteen  in  the  road,  an'  the  poke  with  the  let- 
ters in  hit  the  Yank  had  done  laid  dowTi  beside  him 
when  he  stopped  t'  git  a  drink,  an'  me  an'  Jim  crep* 
up  on  him  an'  ordered  him  to  surrender.  He  Jumped  an' 
run,  an  we  wuz  af eared  to  shoot  least  we  bring  the  rest 
o'  the  Yanks  down  onto  us." 

I     At  the  mention  of  letters  Si  began  eagerly  examining 
the  contents  of  the  haversack.    He  held  some  of  them 

'  down  to  the  light  of  the  fire^  and  then  exclaimed  ex- 
citedly : 

"Why,  boys,  this  is  our  mail.  It  w^as  Will  Gobright 
they  were  after." 

A  sudden  change  came  over  Shorty.  He  took  the 
prisoner  by  the  back  of  the  neck  and  ran  him  up  to  the 


428 


SI  KLEGG  AND  SHORTY. 


door  of  the  house  and  flung  him  inside.    Then  he  hast- 
ened back  to  the  fiie  and  said: 
"Le's  see  them  letters." 

A  pine-knot  had  been  thrown  on  the  fire  to  make  a 
bright  blaze,  by  the  light  of  which  Si  was  laboriously 
fumbling  over  the  letters.  Even  by  the  flaring,  uncer- 
tain glare  it  could  be  seen  that  a  ruddy  hue  came  into 
his  face  as  he  came  across  one  with  a  gorgeous  flag  on 
one  end  of  the  envelope,  and  directed  in  a  pinched, 
labored  hand  on  straight  lines  scratched  by  a  pin.  He 
tried  to  slip  the  letter  unseen  by  the  rest  into  his  blouse 
pocket,  but  fumbled  it  so  badly  that  he  dropped  the  rest 
in  a  heap  at  the  edge  of  the  Are. 

"Look  out,  Si,"  said  Shorty  crossly,  and  hastily 
snatching  the  letters  away  from  the  fire.  "You'll  burn 
up  somebody's  letters,  and  then  there'll  be  no  end  o' 
trouble.  You're  clumsier'n  a  foundered  horse.  Your 
fingers  are  all  thumbs." 

"Handle  them  yourself,  if  you  think  you  kin  do  any 
better,"  said  Si,  who,  having  got  all  that  he  wanted,  lost 
interest  in  the  rest.  If  Si's  fingers  were  all  thumbs, 
Shorty's  seemed  all  fists.  Besides,  his  reading  of  hand- 
writing was  about  as  laborious  as  climbing  a  ladder.  He 
tackled  the  lot  bravely,  though,  and  laboriously  spelled 
out  and  guessed  one  address  after  another,  until  sud- 
denly his  eye  was  olned  on  a  postmark  that  differed  from 
the  others.  "Wis."  first  caught  his  glance,  and  he  turn- 
ed the  envelope  around  until  he  had  spelled  out  "Bad 
Ax"  as  the  rest  of  the  imprint.  This  was  enough.  No- 
body else  in  the  regiment  got  letters  from  Bax  Ax,  Wis. 
He  fumbled  the  letter  into  his  blouse  pocket,  and  in 
turn  dropped  the  rest  at  the  edge  of  the  fire,  arousin;«f 
protests  from  the  other  boys, 

"Well,  if  any  o'  you  think  you  kin  do  better'n  I  kin, 
take  'em  up.  There  they  are,"  said  he.  "You  go  over 
'em,  Tom  ¥felch.    I  must  look  around  a  little." 

Shorty  secretly  caressed  the  precious  envelope  in  his 
pocket  with  his  great,  strong  fingers,  and  pondered  as  to 
hovs^  he  was  cooing  to  get  an  opportunity  to  read  the  letter 
before  daylight.  It  was  too  sacrsd  and  too  sweet  to  be 
opened  aad  read  befor®  thm  i^jf©^«  €i  his  unsympathetic^ 


SI   AND  SHORTY   WORE   THE  TRAP. 


429 


teasing  comrades ,  and  vet  it  seemed  an  eternity  to  wait 
till  morning.  He  stole  a  glance  out  of  the  corner  of  his 
eye  at  Si,  who  was  going  through  the  same  process,  as 
he  stood  with  abstracted  air  on  the  other  side  of  the  fire. 
The  sudden  clamor  of  the  dogs  recalled  them  to  present 
duties. 

"Hullo,  the  house came  out  of  the  darkness. 

''Hullo,  yourselfT'  replied  Shorty,  in  Mrs.  Bolster's  tones. 

''It's  me— Groundhog.    Call  off  yer  dogs." 

Si  and  Shorty  looked  startled,  and  exchanged  signifi- 
cant glances.  "Needn't  ^-e  told  it  was  him,"  said  Shorty. 
"I  could  smell  his  breath  even  this  far.  Hullo,  Ground- 
hog," he  continued  in  loud  tones.  "Come  on  up.  Git 
out.  Watch!  Lay  dovvu,  Tige!  Begone,  Bones!  Come 
on  up,  Groundhog.    What's  the  news?" 

A  louder,  longer,  more  penetrating  hiss  than  ever 
sounded  from  the  house.  Shorty  looked  around  angrily. 
Si  made  a  break  for  the  door, 

"No,  I  can't  come  up  now,"  said  Groundhog;  "I  jest 
come  by  to  see  if  things  wuz  all  right.  A  company  went 
out  o'  camp  this  mornin'  fox  some  place  that  I  couldn't 
find  out.  I  couldn't  git  word  t'  you,  an'  Fve  bin  anxi- 
ous 'bout  whether  it  come  this  way."  ^  , 

"Never  tetched  us,"  answered  Shorty,  in  perfect  repro- 
duction of  Mrs.  Bolster's  accents.    "We'uns  is  all  right." 

The  hissing  from  the  cabin  became  so  loud  that  it 
seemed  impossible  for  Groundhog  not  to  hear  it. 

"Blast  it.  Si,  can't  you  gag  that  old  guinea-hen/^  said 
Shorty,  in  a  savage  undertone.  > 

Si  was  in  the  meanwhile  muttering  all  sorts  of  savage 
threats  at  Mrs.  Bolster,  the  least  oi  which  was  to  go  in 
auif  choke  the  llje  out  of  hef  if  she  did  not  stog  her  s^- 
nalling. 

"Glad  t'  hear  it,"  said  Groundhog.  was  a  leetle 
skeexy  all  day  about  it,  an'  come  out  as  soon's  I  could. 
Have  yo'  seed  Brad  Tingle?"  — 

"Yes;  seen  him  to-day."  . 

"D'  yo^  know  whar  he  is?  Kin  yo'  git  wojrd  to  him 
quick?" 

"Yes,  indeed;  right  off." 

*'WelI^  send  ward  to  him  as  sQOtt  as  you  kig^  tibat  a 


430 


ei  KLEGG   AND  SHOETY. 


got  tlie  mules  rea-"'y  for  stampedin'  an'  runnin'  off  at  any 
time,  an'  waitin'  for  him.  The  sooner  he  kin  jump  the 
corral  the  better.  To-night  if  he  kin,  but  suttenly  not 
later'n  to-morrer  night.  Be  sure  and  git  word  to  him  by 
early  to  morrer  mornin'  at  the  furthest." 

"ril  be  sure  t'  git  word  t'  him  this  very  night/'  an- 
swered the  iictitioi ! s  Mrs.  Bolster. 

"Yfell,  good-night.  I  must  hurry  along,  an'  git  back 
dfore  the  second  relief  goes  off.  All  my  friends  air  on  it. 
See  yo'  ter-morrer,  ii  J  kin." 

"You  jest  bet  you'll  see  me  to-morrow,"  said  Shorty 
grimly,  as  he  heard  Groundhog's  mule  clatter  away.  "If 
you  don't  see  me  the  disappointment  '11  come  nigh  break- 
ing my  heart.  Now  I'll  go  in  and  learn  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hackberry  now  to  spend  the  first  night  o'  their  wedded 
lives." 

'T  don't  keer  ef  yo'  do  shoot  me.  I'd  a  heap  ruther  be 
shot  than  not,"  she  was  sayiug  to  Si  as  Shorty  came  up. 
"I've  changed  my  mind  sencc  I've  bin  put  in  here.  I'd  a 
heap  ruther  die  than  live  with  Jeff  Hackberry." 

"Never  knowed  married  folks  to  git  tired  o'  one  an- 
other so  soon,"  commented  Shorty.  "But  I  should've 
thought  that  Jeff'd  got  tired  first.  But  this  is  no  time  to 
fool  around  with  fambly  jars.  Look  here,  Jeff  Hackberry, 
you  must  make  that  wife  o'  yourn  keep  quiet.  If  she 
tries  to  give  another  signal  we'll  tie  you  up  by  the 
thumbs  now,  besides  shoot  you  in  the  mornin'." 

"What  kin  I  do  with  her?"  whined  Jeff. 

"Do  with  her?  You  kin  make  her  mind.  That's  your 
duty.    You're  the  head  o'  the  fambly." 

*'Head  o'  the  fambly?"  groaned  Jeff,  in  mournful  sar- 
casm. "Mister,  you  don't  seem  to  be  acquainted  with 
•  Sal." 

"Head  o' the  fambly,"  sneered  his  wife.  "He  aint  the 
head  o'  nothin'.  Not  the  head  o'  a  pin.  He  haint  no 
mwre  head'n  a  ^shworm." 

'^Look  here,  woman,"  said  Shorty,  '^didn't  you  promise 
to  love,  honor  and  obey  him?" 

"No,  I  didn't  nuther.  I  said  I'd  shove,  hammer  an'  be- 
lay him.  Hit's  none  o'  yer  bizniss,  nohow,  yo'  sneakin' 
y^riakjop.^  ^la^f  J  do  to  him^    You  hain't  no  call  t'  mix  in 


SI  AND  SHORTY   WOEK  THE  TRAP. 


431 


betwixt  him  an'  me.  An'  my  mouth's  my  own.  I'll  use 
hit  jest  as  I  please,  in  spite  o'  yo'  an'  him,  an*  40  others 
like  yo'.    Hear  that?" 

"TTell.  you  git  back  into  that  bed,  an'  stay  there,  and 
don't  you  dare  give  another  signal,  or  Til  buck-and-gag 
you  on  your  wedding-night." 

''Don't  you  dar  tetch  me,"  she  said  menacingly. 

^'l  aint  goin'  to  touch  you.  I'm  too  careful  what  I 
touch.  But  ril  tie  you  to  that  bed  and  gag  you,  if  you 
don't  do  as  I  say.    Get  back  into  bed  at  once," 

"I  ain't  gwine  t',  an'  yo'  can't  make  me,"  she  said  de- 
fiantly. 

"Take  hold  of  her,  Jeff,"  said  Shorty,  pulling  out  his 
bayonet  and  giving  that  worthy  a  little  prod. 

Jeff  hesitated  until  Shorty  gave  him  a  more  earnest 
prod,  when  he  advanced  toward  his  wife,  but,  as  he  at- 
tempted to  lay  his  hands  on  her  shoulders,  she  caught 
him,  gave  him  a  quick  twist  and  a  trip,  and  down  he 
went;  but  he  had  clutched  her  to  save  himself  from  fall- 
ing, and  brought  her  down  with  him.  Shorty  caught  her 
elbows  and  called  to  Si  to  bring  him  a  piece  of  cord,  with 
which  he  tied  her  arms.  Another  piece  bound  her 
ankles.  She  lay  on  the  floor  and  railed  with  all  the  ve- 
hemence of  her  vicioiis  tongue. 

'Tick  her  up  and  lay  her  on  the  bed  there,"  Shortar 
ordered  Jeff.  Jeff  found  some  difficulty  in  lifting  the 
tall,  bony  frame,  but  Shorty  gave  him  a  little  help  with 
the  ponderous  but  agile  feet,  and  the  woman  was  finally 
gotten  on  the  bed. 

'*Xow,  we'll  gag  you  next,  if  you  make  any  more  trouble,*' 
threatened  Shorty,  "We  don't  allow  no  woman  to  inter- 
fere with  military  operations.*^ 

They  had  scarcely  finished  this  when  the  dogs  began 
barking  again,  and  Si  and  Shorty  hurried  out.  Tk^ 
operations  in  the  house  had  rather  heated  them,  the 
evening  was  warm,  and  Shorty  had  taken  off  his  blouse 
and  drawn  it  up  inside  of  his  belt,  in  the  rear. 

The  noise  of  the  dogs  betokened  the  approach  of  some- 
thing more  than  usual  visitors.  Through  the  clamor  the 
boys'  quick  ears  could  detect  the  clatter  of  an  omiuous 


482 


SI  KLEGG   AND  SHOKTt. 


number  of  hoofs.  The  other  boys  heard  it,  too,  and  were 
standing  around,  gun  in  hand,  waiting  developments. 

"Hullo,  dere,  de  house  1"  came  in  a  voice  Si  and 
Shorty  dimly  recfognized  having  heard  somewhere  before. 

"Hullo,  yourself,"  answered  Shorty.    "Who  air  yo'?"  ■ 

"Fm  Gapt.  Littles,"  came  back  above  the  noise  of  barking. 
''Gall  off  your  togs .    I'm  all  righdt.  Is  it  all  righdt  up  dere?" 

"Yes.  Lay  down,  Watch!  Git  out,  fige!"  Shorty 
started  to  answer,  when  he  was  interrupted  by  the  appa- 
rition of  Mrs.  Bolster- Hackberry  flying  out  of  the  door, 
and  yelling  at  the  top  of  her  voice : 

"No,  hit  ain't  all  right  at  all,  Captain.  The  Yankees 
've  got  us.  Thar's  a  right  smart  passel  o'  'em  here,  with 
we'uns  prisoners.  Jump  'em,  if  yo'  kin.  If  yo'  can't, 
skeet  out  an'  git  enough  t'  down  'em  an'  git  us  out." 

Si  and  Shorty  recognized  that  the  time  for  words  was 
passed.  They  snatched  up  their  guns  and  fired  in  the 
direction  of  the  hail.  The  other  boys  did  the  same. 
There  was  a  patter  of  replying  shots,  aimed  at  the  fire 
around  which  they  had  been  standing,  but  had  moved 
away  from. 

Apparently,  Capt.  Littles  thought  the  Yankees  were  m 
too  great  force  for  him  to  attack,  for  his  horses  could  be 
heard  moving  away.  The  boys  followed  them  with  shots 
aimed  at  the  sound.  Si  and  Shorty  ran  down  forward  a 
little  ways,  hoping  to  get  a  better  sight.  The  rebels 
hfilted,  apparently  dismounted,  got  behind  a  fence  and 
began  firing  back  at  intervals. 

Si  and  Shorty  fired  from  the  point  they  had  gained,  and 
drew  upon  themselves  quite  a  storm  of  shots. 

"Things  look  bad,"  said  Si  to  Shorty.  "They've  hailed 
there  to  hold  us  while  they  send  for  reinforcements. 
We'd  better  go  back  to  the  boys  and  get  things  in  shape. 
Mebbe  we'd  better  send  back  to  camp  for  help." 

"We'll  wait  till  we  find  out  more  about  'em,"  said 
Shorty,  as  they  moved  back.  They  had  to  cross  the 
road,  "upon  the  white  surface  of  which  they  stood  out  in 
bold  contrast  and  drew  some  shots  which  came  unfortably 
close. 

The  other  boys,  after  a  severe  struggle,  had  caugbt 
ijirs.  Bolster-Hackberry  and  ^ut  hei  back  in  the  cabin. 


BI  AND   SHOETY    WORK   THE   TEAP.  433 


After  a  brief  consultation,  it  was  decided  to  hold  their 
ground  until  daylight.  They  could  get  into  the  cabin, 
and  by  using  it  as  a  fortification,  stand  off  a  big  crowd  of 
enemies.  The  rest  of  the  boys  were  sent  inside  to  punch 
out  loop-holes  between  the  logs,  and  make  the  place  as 
defensible  as  possible.  Si  and  Shorty  were  to  stay  out- 
side and  observe. 

"rye  got  an  idee  how  to  fix  that  old  woman/'  said 
Shorty  suddenly. 

"Buck-and-gag  her?"  inquired  Si. 

*''No;  we'll  go  in  there  and  chuck  her  down  that  hole 
where  she  kept  her  whisky,  and  fasten  the  hasp  in  the 
staple." 

"Good  idee,  if  the  hole  will  hold  her." 

"It's  got  to  hold  her.  Yfe  can't  have  her  rampaging 
round  during  the  fight.  I'd  rather  have  a  whole  company 
o'  rebels  on  my  back." 

They  did  not  waste  any  words  with  the  old  woman,  but 
despite  her  yells  and  protests  Si  took  hold  of  one  shoulder, 
Shorty  the  other,  and  forced  her  down  in  the  pit  and 
closed  the  puncheon  above  her. 

They  went  out  again  to  reconnoiter.  The  enemy  was 
quiet,  apparently  waiting.  Only  one  shot,  fired  in  the 
direction  of  the  fire,  showed  that  they  were  still  there. 

Shorty  suddenly  bethought  him  of  his  blouse,  in  the 
pocket  of  which  was  the  precious  letter.  He  felt  for  it. 
It  was  gone.    Re  was  stunnei!. 

T  remember,  now,"  he  said  to  himself,  St  was  working 
out  as  I  ran,  and  it  slipped  down  as  I  climbed  the  fence." 

He  said  aloud: 

"Si,  I've  lost  my  blouse.  I  dropped  it  down  there  jest 
before  we  crossed  the  road.    I'm  goin'  to  get  it." 

"Blast  the  blouse,"  said  Si;  "let  it  be  till  mornin'. 
You  need  something  worse'n  a  blouse  to-night.  You'll 
ketch  a  bullet  sure's  you're  alive  if  you  try  to  go  acrost 
that  road  agin.    They  rake  it." 

"I  don't  care  if  they  do,"  said  Shorty  desperately.  ''I'd 
^o  down  there  if  a  battery  raked  it.  There's  a  letter  in 
the  pocket  that  I  must  have." 

Si  instinctively  felt  for  the  letter  in  his  own  pocket. 


434 


SI  KLEGG  AHD  SHOETZ 


"^6ry  well,"  he  said;  "if  you  feel  as  if  you  must  go  I'll 

go  along." 

"No,  you  sha'n't.  You  stay  here  in  command;  it's 
your  duty.  You  can't  help  if  you  do  go.  I'll  go  alone, 
ril  tell  you  what  you  might  do,  though^i  You  might  go 
over  there  to  the  left  and  fire  on  'em,  as  if  we  wuz 
feelin'  around  that  way.  That'll  draw  some  o'  their  at- 
tention 

Si  did  as  suggested.         ,  ;  .     ,       ■  ^      ■  _ 

Shorty  crept  back  to  the  point  th^  had  before  oc- 
cupied. The  rebels  saw  him  coming  over  a  little  knoll, 
and  fired  at  him.  He  ran  for  the  fence.  He  looked  over 
at  the  roadj  and  thought  he  saw  the  blouse  lying  in  the 
ditch  on  the  opposite  side.  He  sprang  over  the  fence 
and  ran  across  the  road.  The  rebels  had  anticipated  this 
and  sent  a  volley  into  the  road.  One  bullet  struck  a 
small  stone,  which  flew  up  and  smote  Shorty's  cheek  so 
sharply  that  he  reeled.  But  he  went  on  across,  picked 
up  the  blouse,  found  the  dear  letter,  and  deliberately 
stopped  in  the  road  until  he  transferred  it  to  the  breast 
of  his  shirt.  Then  he  sprang  back  over  the  fence,  and 
stopped  there  a  moment  to  rest.  He  could  heai  the  rebel 
Captain  talking  to  his  men,  and  every  moment  the  ac- 
cents of  the  voice  became  more  familiar, 

"Don'd  vaste  your  shods,"  he  was  saying.  "Don'd  vire 
undil  you  sees  somedings  to  shood  ad,  unt  den  vire  to 
hid.  See  how  many  shods  you  haf  alretty  vired  mitout 
doing  no  goot.  You  must  dink  dat  ammunition's  as 
blenty  as  vater  in  de  Southern  Gonfederacy.  If  you  hat 
as  much  drouble  as  I  haf  to  ket  cartridges  you  vould  ge 
more  gareful  of  dem." 

Capt.  Littles  was  Rosenbaum,  the  Jew  spy,  masque- 
rading in  a  new  role.  Shorty's  heart  leaped.  Instantly 
he  thought  of  a  way  to  let  Kosenbaum  know  whom  he 
had  run  up  against. 

"Corporal  Si  Klegg!"  he  called  out  in  his  loudest  tones, 

"What  is  it,  Shorty?"  answered  the  wondering  Si. 

"Don't  let  any  more  o'  the  boys  shoot  over  there  to  the 
left.  That's  the  way  Capt.  McGillicuddy's  a-comin'  in 
with  Co.  Q.  I  think'  I  kin  see  him  now  jest  raisin'  the 
hill.  Yes,  I'm  sure  it's  him.'* 


SI   AND   SHORTY   WORK    THE  TRAP. 


435 


The  next  instaut  lie  heard  the  rebel  C^i.tain  saying  to 
his  men: 

"Poys,  dey're  goming  up  in  our  rear.  Dey're  de  men  ve 
saw  a  liddle  vhile  ago.  De  only  va}  is  to  mount  un 
make  a  rush  past  de  house.  All  mount  unt  vollow  me 
as  vast  as  dey  gan." 

There  was  a  gallop  of  horsemen  up  the  road,  and  they 
passed  by  like  the  wind,  while  Si  and  Shorty  fired  as  fast 
as  they  could  load — Shorty  oyer  their  heads.  Si  at  the 
noise.  Just  opposite  the  house  the  Captain's  horse 
stumbled,  and  his  rider  went  oyer  his  head  into  a  bank 
of  weeds.    The  rest  swept  on,  not  heeding  the  mishap. 

^'Surrender,  Levi/'  said  Shorty,  running  up. 

"Certainly,  mj  tear  poy,"  said  Rosenbaum.  "Any- 
ding  dat  you  yant.  Eow  are  you,  any  yay?  Say,  da^ 
yas  a  nead  driek,  vasn't  it?  Haf  your  horse  sdumble 
unt  trow  you  jest  ad  de  righd  dime  unt  blace?  It  dook 
me  a  long  dime  t©  deaeli  my  horse  dat.  Fm  mighty  glat 
to  see  jou. 


BI  KLEaa  AND  SHOETY* 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 
MR.  rosi:nbaum  kecites  a  thrilling  experience. 

"Hist,  poys,  don'd  dalk  vriendly  to  me  oud  lout,"  said 
the  prudent  Eosenbaum.  "Vhat's  habbened?  I  know 
you  haf  god  de  house.  I  haf  peen  eggsbectiug  vor  a  long 
dime  dat  dere  vould  pe  a  raid  made  ubon  id,  Vhat  der 
deffil  is  dat  saying  you  haf:  ^Id's  a  long  vorm  dat  don'd 
haf  a  durn.'  No;  dat  isn't  id.  ^Id's  an  ill  lane  dat  plows 
nopody  any  goot.'  No;  dat's  nod  id,  neider.  Veil,  any- 
fay,  Mrs.  Sally  unt  her  growd  god  entirely  doo  pold.  Dey 
blayed  doo  oben,  unt  I  knew  dey'd  soon  ged  gedched. 
Who  dit  you  ged  in  de  house?"  t  > 

Si  started  to  call  over  the  names,  and  to  recite  the  cir- 
cumstances, but  as  he  reached  that  of  Brad  Tingle, 
Rosenbaum  clutched  him  by  the  arm  and  said  earnestly: 

"Holt  on,  Dell  me  the  resd  aider  avhile.  Fm  avraid 
of  dat  man.  He^s  gome  breddy  near  gedding  on  do  me 
seferal  dimes  aketty.  He's  lisdening  now,  unt  he'll  pe 
sure  to  susbect  somedings,  if  he  don'd  hear  you  dreating 
me  as  you  dit  de  udders,  Pegin  sve^rixig  ad  me  as  you 
djt  at  de  rest."      -  i :  i 

Shorty  instantly  took  the  hint.  ^ 

"I'll  stand  no  more  foolishness,"  he  called  out  angrily.*' 
If  you  don't  surrender  at  once  I'll  blow  your  rebel  head 

P|."         '  f  -A  ^A,.  , 

"I'll  haf  to  glf  ub,"  Eosenbaum  replied  in  an  accent  of 
pain,  "for  I  pelief  I  groke  my  leg  vhen  I  veil,  I  vind  I 
gan't  stant  ub." 

"Give  up  your  arms,  then,  and  we'll  help  you  up  to  the 
fire,  and  see  how  badly  you're  hurt,"  said  Si, 

Eosenbaum  gave  groans  of  anguish  as  Si  and  Shortj 
picked  him  up  and  carried  him  over  to  the  fire. 

"Now  we're  out  of  ear-shot  o'  the  house,"  said  Si,  as 
they  deposited  him  on  the  opposite  side,  and  somewhat 
behind  a  thicket  of  raspberries,  "and  we  can  talk.  Where 
did  you  come  from  this  time,  Levi?" 

^isoiiiip  \m^^9mmwlP^i^'^3mA%'^H\^^^  at  tuI- 


ROSEKBAUM'S  THEILLING   EXPERIENCE,  437 

lahoma^  unt  I  liaf  god  information  dat  vill  make  Cheneral 
Rosecrans's  heart  chump  vor  choy.  I  haf  god  de  news  he 
has  peen  vaiting  vor  all  dese  veeks  to  move  his  army. 
I  haf  god  de  numper  of  Pragg's  men,  chust  vhere  dey  are 
sdadioned,  unt  how  many  is  ad  each  blace.  I'm  grazy 
to  ged  to  Cheneral  Rosecrans  mit  de  news.  I  haf  peen 
cavorting  arount  de  goundry  all  day  drying  some  vay  to 
ged  in,  unt  at  my  vits'  ent,  vor  some  of  de  men  mit  me 
hat  deir  susbicions  of  me,  unt  vouldn't  haf  hesidaded  to 
shood  me,  if  dey  ditn't  like  de  vay  I  vas  acding.  Dell 
de  druth,  id's  peen  gedding  breddy  hod  vor  me  ofer  dere  in 
de  reppel  lines.  Doo  many  men  haf  seen  me  in  de 
Yankee  gamps.  Dis  man,  Brad  Tingle,  has  seen  me 
twice  at  Cheneral  Rosecrans's  Headqvarters,  unt  has 
toldt  a  lod  of  sdories  dat  mate  much  drubbles.  I  dink  dat 
dis  is  de  lasd  visid  I'll  bay  Cheneral  Pragg.  I'm  vont  of 
visiting,  bud  id  radder  disgourages  me  to  pe  so  dat  I  gan't 
look  ad  a  limb  running  oud  vrom  a  dree  mitout  dinking 
dat  it  may  pe  vhere  dey  vill  hang  me." 

"Excuse  me  from  any  such  visitin',"  said  Si  sympa- 
thetically. "I'd  much  rather  stay  at  home.  I've  had  12 
or  15  hours  inside  the  enemy's  lines,  playin'  off  deserter, 
and  I've  had  enough  to  last  me  my  three  years.  I'll  take 
any  day  o'  the  battle  o'  Stone  River  in  preference.  I 
aint  built  for  the  spy  business  in  any  shape  or  form. 
I'm  plain,  out-and-out  Wabash  prairie  style — everything 
above  ground  and  in  sight." 

"Well,  I'm  different  from  you,"  said  Shorty.  "I  own  up 
that  I'm  awfully  fond  o'  a  game  o'  hocus-pocus  with  the 
rebels,  and  tryin'  to  see  which  kin  thimble-rig  the  other. 
It's  mighty  excitin'  gamblin'  when  your  own  head's  the 
stake,  an'  beats  poker  an'  faro  all  holler.  But  I  want 
the  women  ruled  out  o'  the  game.  Never  saw^  a  game 
yit  that  a  woman  wouldn't  spile  if  she  got  her  finger  in." 

"Mrs.  Bolster  came  mighty  near  marrying  him^  and 
he's  pale  yet  from  the  scare,"  Si  explained. 

"Yes,"  said  Shorty  frankly.    "You'll  see  I'm  still  white 
all  around  the  gills.   Never  wuz  so  rattled  in  my  life. 
That  woman's  a  witch.    You  could  only  kill  her  by 
shooting  her  with  a  silver  bullet.    She  put  a  spell  on  me 
sure'-s  you're  a  foot  high.   Lord^  wouldn't  I  like  to  be  abl@ 


438  SI  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 

to  manage  lier.  Fd  set  her  up  with  a  faro-bank  or  a 
sweat-board,  and  she'd  win  all  the  money  in  the  army  in 
a  month." 

"Yes,  she's  a  derror,"  accorded  Eosenbaum.  "She 
mate  up  her  mindt  to  marry  me  vhen  I  virst  gome  down 
here.  1  vas  awfully  sgared,  vor  Ivas  sure  she  saw  drough 
me  sharber  dan  de  men  dit,  and  vould  marry  me  or  ex- 
bose  me.  Bud  I  god  some  boints  on  her  apout  bizening  a 
neighboring  voman  dat  she  hated  unt  vas  jealous  of, 
unt  den  1  blayed  an  immediate  orter  vrom  Cheneral 
Pragg  to  me  to  rebort  to  his  Headqvarters.  Pud  it  dook 
all  de  prains  I  hat  to  keeb  he:  off  me." 

*'She's  safe  now  from  marry  in'  anybody  for  awhile, 
said  Shorty,  and  he  related  the  story  of  her  nuptials, 
which  amused  Rosenbaum  greatly. 

"Pud  you  haf  signed  Jeff  Hackberry's  death -varrant, 
he  said.    "If  he  dries  to  lif  mit  her  she'll  veed  him  vild 
barsnip,  ant  he'll  ket  a  house  of  ret  glay,  dat  you  put  de 
roof  on  mit  a  shoffel.    Id'll  pe  no  kreat  loss.    Jefi  aind 
vorth  in  a  year  de  pread  he'll  ead  in  a  day.'* 

"She  may  be  smothered  in  that  hole,"  Shorty  bethought 
himself.    "I  guess  we'd  better  let  her  out  for  awhile." 

"Yes,"  said  Rosenbaum.  "She  gan't  do  no  harm  now. 
Nopody  else  vill  gome  dis  vay  to-nighd.  De  men  dat 
vas  mit  me  vill  sga  ter  de  news  dat  de  house  is  in  Yan- 
kee hants.  Dey  dink  dere's  a  pig  vorce  here,  unt  so  ve 
von't  pe  disturped  dill  morning." 

"Then  Til  go  in  and  let  her  out,"  said  Shorty.'^ 

The  other  inmates  of  the  cabin  were  asleep  when  he 
entered,  but  they  waked  up,  and  begged  him  not  to  let 
the  woman  out  until  morning. 

"Keep  her  in  there  till  daylight,"  said  'Squire  Corson, 
"and  then  restore  me  to  my  home  and  functions,  and  rJl 
call  out  a  posse  comitatus,  and  have  her  publicly  duck- 
ed, according  to  the  laws  of  the  land,  as  a  common  scold. 
I've  never  heard  such  vile  language  as  she  applied  to  me 
when  I  gave  her  the  advice  it  was  my  duty  to  give  to  live 
in  peace  and  quietness  with  her  husband.  That  there 
woman's  a  Niagary  of  cuss  words  and  abuse." 

"If  yo'  let  her  out,  take  me  outside  with  yo',"  begged 
Jeff  Hackberry.    "She'll  kill  me.  she',  if  I've  to  stay  in 


EOSfkBAUM'S    THRILLING  EXPERIENCE. 


439 


here  'till  morn  in'  with  her.  She  begun  by  flingin'  a  1:.ag 
o'  red  pepper  in  my  face,  and  set  us  all  to  sneczin'  until 
1  thought  the  'Squire'd  sneeze  his  durned  head  ofi.  Then 
she  iobbed  me  wiih  a  bavonet.  and  acted  a b  n C)  1"^.' 0 m an 
orter  to  act  tOAvard  her  lawful  huslrtand.  no  matter  how 
long  they'd  bin  married,  let  alone  tlieir  weddin'  night."' 

^' Sorry,  btit  it's  agin  all  my  principles  to  separate 
man  and  wife."  said  Shorty,  as  he  nn:-ved  to  the  puncheon 
trap-door  and  undid  the  hasp.  "You  took  her  for  better 
or  worse,  and  it's  too  early  in  the  game  to  complain  that 
you  found  her  a  blamed  sight  worse  than  you  took  her 
for.  You're  one  noAAy.  yoti  knoAAy.  and  mtist  stay  that  AA-ay 
until  death  do  you  part." 

Shorty  lilted  up  the  trap-door,  and  Si  helped  the  aa-o- 
man  out  AAUth  some  dilliculty.  They  expected  a  tcirrent 
of  abuse,  but  she  seemed  limp  and  silent,  and  sank 
doAAUi  on  the  floor.  The  boys  picked  her  up  and  laid  her 
on  tlie  bed  beside  Jeff  liackberry. 

''She's  fainted;  she's  dead.  She's  bin  sufferkated  in 
that  hole,"  said  Jeff. 

"Xo.  yo'  punkin-headcd  fool.''  she  gasped.  'T  haint 
dead,  ner  1  haint  fainted,  nor  I  liaint  sufferkated.  Yo'll 
find  out  when  I  git  my  Avind  back  aliuie.  I'm  so  full  o' 
mad  an'  spite  tliat  km  done  ttickcred  clean  out.  T'm 
clean  beat,  so  clean  beat  that  1  haint  got  no  Avords  to  fit 
the  'casion.  T'^-e  got  t'  lay  still  an'  tiiink  an'  gether  up 
some. 

'"'She's  comin'  to.  Shorty/''  said  Si.  'Tt'll  be  pleasanter 
outside." 

i  '"'You  say  you  have  been  haAung  unusually  exciting 
times,"  said  Si  to  Rosenbauni;  as  the  boys  again  seated 
themseh-es  by  the  fire. 

"Yell,  I  should  zay  so,"  replied  Eosenbaum  Avith  em- 
phasis. ''Do  you  know  dat  Cheneral  Pragg  is  de  A'erv 
Torst  man  dat  eSer  liffed?" 

'•'All  rebels  are  bad,"  said  Shorty  oracularly.  ''But  I 
suppose  that  some  are  much  worse  than  others.  I 
know  that  the  private  soldiers  are  awful,  and  I  suppose 
the  higher  you  go  the  wuss  they  are.  The  Corporals  are 
cussider  than  the  priA^ates,  the  Sergeants  can  giA'e  the 
Corporals  5)oints  in  deTilishness,  and  so  it  goes  on  ug 


440 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHOETY. 


until  tlie  General  commanding  an  army  must  be  one  of 
the  devil's  favorite  imps,  while  Jeff  Davis  is  Old  Horney^s 
junior  partner." 

"No;  id  isn't  dat/'  said  Rosenbaum.  "I'fe  known  a 
goot  many  reppel  ClieneralSj  unt  some  of  dem  aind  really 
pad  vellers,  oudside  off  deir  rebelness.  Pud  olt  Pragg  is  a 
porn  defiil.  He  has  no  more  heart  dan  a  rattlesnake. 
He  acdually  lofes  gruelty.  He'd  radder  kill  men  dan 
not.  Pie  seen  blenty  of  officers  who  vere  endirely  doo 
villing  to  shood  men  for  liddie  or  nodding.  Cheneral 
Pragg  is  de  only  man  I  effer  saw  who  vould  shood  men 
for  nodding  at  all — yust  'for  example/  as  he  says, 
unt  to  make  de  odders  afraidt  unt  reaty  to  opey  him. 
He  gcoUy  galgulates  to  shood  so  many  effery  month.  If 
deyVe  done  anyding  to  deserfe  it,  all  righd.  If  dey 
haint,  he  shoods  dem  all  de  same,  yust  to  'preserfe  dis- 
cipline.'" 

Si  and  Shorty  uttered  exclamations  of  surprise  at  this 
cold-blooded  cruelty. 

"I  kiiow  id's  hart  to  belief,"  said  Rosenbaum,  "put  id's.^  , 

drue  all  de  same,  as  anypody  aroundt  his  Headqvarters 
vill  dell  you.  Cheff  Davis  knows  id  unt  abbroves  id.  He 
is  the  same  kind  of  a  man  as  Cheneral  Pragg — no  more 
heart  dan  a  tiger.  I  haf  seen  a  goot  deal  of  de  inside  of 
de  reppel  army,  unt  Cheneral  Pragg  is  de  goldest-plooded, 
gruelest  man  in  id  or  de  v/hole  vorld.  Id's  drue  dat  de 
men  he  orters  shod  are  chenerally  of  no  aggound,  like 
your  man  Jeff  Hackberry — put  id's  de  brincible  of  de 
ding  dat  shocks  me.  He  yust  dakes  a  dislike  to  de  vay  a 
man  looks  or.  acts,  or  de  vay  he  barts  his  hair,  looks  at 
him  mit  his  steely  gray  eyes,  unt  says  goldly,  'Pud  him 
in  the  pull-ben.'  In  de  pull-ben  de  boor  deffil  goes,  unt 
de  next  time  Cheneral  Pragg  geds  an  idea  dat  de  disci- 
pline of  de  army  is  running  town,  unt  he  must  stiffen 
it  ub  mit  a  few  executions,  he  orters  all  de  men  dat 
habben  to  pe  in  de  pull-ben  daken  oud  unt  shod." 

"Without  any  trial,  any  court-martial,  any  eridence 
against  them?"  gasped  Si. 

"Apsoludely  mitout  anyding  put  Cheneral  Pragg's  or- 
ders. It  is  like  you  read  of  in  de  pooks  apoud  dose 
Eastern  gountries  vhere  de  Sultan  or  odder  High-muk-a- 


ROSENBAUM'S    THRILLING   EX'  tRIENCE. 


441 


l  ink  says  ^Gut  dat  man's  headt  off,'  unt  de  man's  liead 
is  gut  off,  unt  no  questions  asked,  unt  no  funeral  cere- 
^lonies  excebt  vashing  up  de  plood." 

"Lucky  for  you,  Levi,"  said  Shorty,  "that  he  didnH 
hare  any  of  the  common  prejudices  against  Jews,  and 
slap  you  in  the  bull-pen.' 

"0,  pud  he  dit,"  said  Eosenbaum.  "He  liaaed  a  Chew 
vorse  dan  any  man  I  eifer  mod.  Unt  it  prought  me  so 
near  death  dat  I  actually  vatched  dem  digging  my 
grafe." 

"Vhile  I  hat  my  ubs  ant  towns,  unt  some  very  narrow 
esgapes,"  continued  Eosenbaum,  "vhen  i  virst  vent  in- 
site  Pragg's  lines,  1  got  along  very  veil  chenerally.  I 
blayed  de  beddler  unt  smuggler  for  de  Southern  Gonfed- 
eracy  in  great  shabe,  unt  run  dem  drough  a  lot  of  gun- 
caps,  quinine,  medicines,  unt  so  on,  unt  prought  in  a 
great  deal  of  invormation,  vhich  dey  fount  to  be  drue. 
Some  of  dis  Gen.  Eosecrans  gafe  me  himself,  for  he  is 
Smart  enough  to  know  dat  if  he  vants  his  Segret  Service 
men  to  succeed  he  must  gif  dem  straight  goods  to  garry 
to  de  enemy. 

"I  pTought  in  exact  sdadements  of  vhat  divisions,  pri- 
gades  \int  rechiments  vere  at  dis  blace  unt  dat  blace, 
how  many  men  vas  in  dem,  who  deir  gommanders  vere, 
unt  so  on.  Cheneral  Eosecrans  vould  haf  dese  gifen 
mCo  It  helbed  him  in  his  blans  to  know  yust  vhat  infor- 
mation vas  reaching  de  enemy,  for  he  knew  yust  how  olt 
Pragg  vould  act  vhen  he  hat  certain  knowledge.  If  he 
knew  dat  Sheridan  mit  6,000  men  vas  at  dis  blace,  mit 
Tom  Vood  10  miles  avaj  mit  6,000  more,  he  voidd  do  a 
certain  ding,  unt  Eosecrans  vould  brovide  for  id.  De 
news  dat  I  prought  in  de  reppels  gould  dest  by  de  reborts 
dey  got  from  oddeis,  unt  dey  alvays  vound  mine  gorrect. 

"My  vork  bleased  de  reppel  Chenerals  so  veil  dat  dey 
made  me  a  Gaptain  in  deir  army,  dransferred  me  from 
Prigade  Headqvarters  to  Division,  unt  den  to  Corps 
Headqvarters.  I  vas  given  gommand  of  squads  of  sgouts. 
I  can  draw  very  veil,  unt  I  mate  goot  maps  of  de  gountrv 
unt  de  roats,  mit  de  bositions  of  Yankee  unt  reppel 
vorces.  Dis  vas  somedings  dat  de  other  reppel  sbies 
gould  not  do,  unt  it  helped  m©  hd^,   I  vas  gareful  to 


442 


SI   KLEGa   AND  SHORTY. 


make  goples  off  all  dese  maps,  unt  dey  god  to  Cheneral 
Rosecrans's  Headqvarters. 

"De  other  reppel  sbies  got  very  jealous  oi  me  pecause 
I  vas  bromoted  ofer  dem,  unt  dey  laid  all  sorts  of  blaus  to 
drip  me  ub.  Dey  game  awful  near  gatching  me  seferal 
dimes,  put  I  vas  too  smard  for  dem,  unt  gould  outvit  dem, 
vhenever  I  got  a  pointer  as  to  vhat  dey  vere  up  to. 
Vonce  dey  vatched  me  go  to  a  hollow  sycamore  dree, 
vhich  1  used  as  a  bostoffice  for  Chim  Chones  to  ged  de 
dings  I  vanted  to  sent  to  Cheneral  Rosecrans.  Dey 
vount  dere  maps  I  hat  mate  of  Shelbyville,  mit  de  bosi- 
tions  of  de  reppel  unt  Yankee  vorces  unt  de  vortiiications 
all  shown. 

"Dat  vas  an  awtui  glose  gall,  unt  I  gould  feel  de  robe 
dighdening  arount  my  neck.  Put  I  kebt  my  nerfe,  unt 
told  a  sdraight  sdory.  I  sait  dat  dat  dree  vas  my  rekular 
office,  vhere  I  kebt  lods  of  dings  dat  I  vas  avraid  to  garry 
aroundt  mit  me  vhen  I  vas  in  tanger  of  vailing  into  de 
Yankee  hants,  as  I  vas  efery  day  vhen  I  vas  sgouting. 
Luckily  for  me  I  had  some  other  brivate  dings  unt  a  lod  of 
Gonfederate  money  hid  dere,  too,  vhich  I  showed  dem. 
Dey  didn't  more  dan  half-belief  my  sdory,  put  dey  led  me 
off,  probably  pecause  dey  needed  me  so  pad. 

"I  saw  dat  de  ding  vas  only  skimmed  ofer,  and  vas 
ready  to  pieak  out  again  any  minute  vorse  dan  effer, 
unt  I  kept  my  eyes  peeled  all  de  dime.  Dat's  vone  rea- 
son vhy  you  haf  not  seen  me  vor  so  long.  I  ditn't  dare 
send  Cheneral  Rosecrans  anyding,  or  go  near  oudsite  de 
reppel  lines.  I  had  to  blay  very  goot,  put  I  kept  gather* 
ing  ub  invormation  for  de  day  vhen  1  should  make  a 
final  preak  unt  leave  de  reppels  for  goot. 

"A  veek  ago  1  vas  ordered  to  go  up  to  Cheneial  Pragg's 
Headqvarters  to  help  dem  mit  deir  maps  unt  reborts. 
Dey  had  nopody  dere  dat  gould  do  de  vork,  unt  Cheff 
Davis,  who  alvays  vants  to  know  efery  dings  apoud  de 
armies,  vas  bunching  dem  ub  safagely  vor  vull  invorma- 
tion. He  vanted  accurade  sdadements  apoiit  de  Yankee 
sdrength  unt  bositions,  unt  apout  de  reppel  sdrengtk  unt 
bositions,  to  see  if  he  gouldn't  do  somedings  to  pull  de 
Yankees  off  of  Bemberton  at  Vicksburg.   Pragg's  Adju- 


tJOSENBAL'MS   THSILLIXG   EXPERIENCE.  443 


tant-Cheneral  sent  vord  droiigh  all  de  army  vor  to  vind 
goot  rabid  bennien  unt  map-makers,  unt  1  vas  sent  ub. 

"De  Adjutant-Cheneral  set  me  to  vork  under  a  lly  near 
Headqvarters,  unt  lie  vas  dickled  almost  to  death  mit 
de  vay  I  dit  my  Tork.  Olt  Pragg  himself  used  to  valk  up 
unt  town  near,  kiowling  unt  cussing  unt  svearing  at 
efferyding  unt  efferypody.  Vonce  or  twice  de  Adjutant- 
Cheneral  galled  his  addention  to  my  vork.  Olt  Pragg  yust 
looked  it  ofer,  grunted,  unt  bored  me  drough  unt  drough 
mit  dose  sharp,  cold  gray  eyes  of  his.  But  I  dought  I 
vas  safe  so  long  as  I  vas  at  Headqvarters,  unt  I  gafe  a 
great  stiff  to  other  Segret  Seriice  men  who  hat  been  drv- 
ing  to  down  me. 

"Vun  morning  olt  Pragg  vas  in  an  awful  demper~de 
vorst  I  hat  effer  seen.  Effery  vord  unt  order  vas  a 
gruelty  to  somepody.  Vinally,  up  gomes  dis  Brad  Tingle 
dat  you  haf  inside.  He  is  a  sort  of  a  half-sby — nod 
prains  enough  to  pe  a  real  Tone,  put  mit  a  goot  deal  of 
gourage  unt  agdividy  to  do  small  vork.  He  hat  peen  sent 
py  Cheneral  Cheatham  to  garry  some  babers  unt  make  a 
rebort.  Vhateffer  it  vas,  it  put  olt  ^"agg  in  a  vorse  dem- 
per  dan  effer.  Brad  Tingle  habbei  i  to  catch  sighd  of 
me,  unt  he  said  in  a  surprised  vayt 

"'Yhy,  dere's  dat  Chew  I  saw  sidding  in  Cheneral 
Eosecrans's  dent  dalking  to  him,  vhen  I  vas  blaying 
refugee  Tennesean  in  de  Yankee  gamps.' 

"'Vhat's  dat?  Yhat's  dat,  my  man?'  said  olt  Pragg, 
who  habbened  to  oferhear  him. 

"Brad  Tingle  dolt  all  he  knew  apoud  me.  Olt  Pragg 
durned  doward  me  unt  gif  me  such  a  look.  I  gould  veel 
dose  cold,  gruel  eyes  boring  sdraighd  drough  me. 

"'Certainly,  he  is  a  Chew,  unt  vone  of  olt  Rosecrans's 
pest  sbies,'  he  said.  'Olt  Rosecrans  is  a  Chew,  a  Dutch 
Chew,  himself.  I  knowed  him  veil  in  de  olt  Army.  He's 
got  a  rekular  Chew  vace.  He  blajs  off  Catholic,  put  dat 
is  to  hite  his  Chewishness.  He  gan't  do  id.  Dat  hook 
nose'd  gif  him  avay  if  nodding  else  dit,  unt  he  haf  got 
enough  else.  He  likes  to  haf  Chews  apoud  him,  pecause 
he  unterstants  dem  petter  dan  he  does  vhite  people, 
unt  bardicularly  he  is  vond  off  Chew  sbies.  He  gan  drust 
dem  vhere  nopodyelse  gan.    Dey '11  pe  drue  to  him  pe- 


444> 


SI  KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


cause  he  is  a  Chew.    Put  dat  man  in  de  pull-ben,  unt 
shood  him  mit  de  rest  to-morrow  morning.' 

"^Heavens/  gasped  de  Adjutant-Cheneral;  'he  is  py  Tar  • 
de  pest  man  I  haf  efer  hat.    I  gan'd  ged  along  mitoud 
him.'  ,  ,      .  N 

"'You  musd  ged  along  mitoud  him/  salt  olt  Pragg. 
Tm  asdonished  at  you  haling  such  a  man  arount.  Vhere 


**OLT  PRAGG  USED  TO  VALK  UP  UNT  TOWN,  KROWLING  UNT 

CUSSING." 

f 

in  de  vorld  dit  you  bick  him  ub  ?  Pud  id's  yust  like  you. 
How  in  God's  name  Cheff  Tavis  exbects  me  to  gommand 
an  army  mit  such  makeshifts  of  sdaff  officers  as  he 
sends  me,  I  don'd  know.  He  keebs  de  pest  vor  olt 
unt  sends  me  vhat  nopody  else'll  haf,  unt  den  exbects 
me  to  vin  patties  against  a  petter  army  dan  de  Army  of 


de  Potomac.  I  nefer  god  a  sdaff  officer  dat  has  pxains 
vonee.' 

Sergeant  of  de  ProTOst  Guart,  who  vas  a  iiadural 
peast,  unt  vas  kept  py  olt  Pragg  pecause  he  vas  glat  to 
garry  out  orders  to  murder  men,  caught  holt  of  me  py  my 
shoulter  unt  run  me  down  to  de  pull-ben,  leaving  de 
Adjutant'Cheneral  mit  forty  expressions  on  his  angry 
vace. 

*'My  goodness,  my  heart  sunk  vorse  dan  efer  pefore 
vhen  I  hear  de  door  shud  pehint  me.  Dere  vere  SO  or  40 
odders  in  de  pull-ben.  Dey  vere  all  laying  arount  —  dull, 
stubid,  sullen,  silent,  unt  hobeless.  Dey  hartly  baid 
any  addention  to  me.  I  sat  do^ui  on  a  log,  unt  my 
heart  seemed  to  sink  glear  oud  of  me.  For  de  virst  dime 
in  my  life  I  gouldn't  see  de  slightest  ray  of  hobe.  Drougli 
de  gracks  in  de  pull  ben  I  gould  see  de  fresh  graves  of  de 
men  who  had  alreaty  peen  shod,  unt  vhile  I  looked  I  saw 
a  squad  of  niggers  gome  out  unt  pegin  digging  de  grafes 
of  dose  who  vere  to  be  shod  to-morrow.  I  gould  see  reppel 
soldiers  unt  officers  bassing  py,  stob  unt  look  a  moment 
at  de  grafes.  shrug  deir  shoulters,  unt  go  on.  Id  froze 
my  plood  to  dink  dat  to-morrow  dey  vould  pe  looking  at 
my  grafe  dat  vay.  Afder  avhile  a  man  gome  in  unt  gif 
each  vone  of  us  a  biece  of  gornpread  unt  mead.  De  odders 
ade  deirs  greedily,  put  I  gould  not  touch  id.  Night  come 
on,  unt  still  I  sat  dere.  Suddenly  de  door  obened,  unt 
de  Adiutant-Ciieneral  gome  in  mit  a  man  apout  my  size 
and  dressed  someding  like  me.  As  he  bassed  he 
gaught  holt  of  my  arm  in  a  sort  of  a  vay  dat  made  me 
unterstant  to  ged  ub  unt  follow  pehint  him,  I  dit  so  ad 
vonce  mitoud  saying  a  vord.  I  valked  pehint  him  arount 
de  pull-ben  until  ve  gome  back  to  de  door,  vhen  de  guart 
bresented  arms,  unt  he  talked  oud,  mit  me  sdill  pi^hint 
him,  leafing  de  odder  man  insite.  Afder  ve  hat  gone  a 
liddle  vay  he  sdopped  unt  vispered  to  me: 

"^De  Cheneral  hat  to  go  off  in  a  hurry  tovard  Var 
Trace  dis  afdernoon.  He  dook  de  Provost-Sergeant  unt 
bart  of  his  sdaff  mit  him,  put  I  hat  to  be  left  pehint  to 
vinish  up  dis  vork.  I  gan'd  ged  anypody  else  to  do  id  pud 
you.  Fm  going  to  dake  you  ofer  to  a  gabin,  vhere  you'll 
pe  oud  of  sighd.  I  vand  you  to  rush  dat  vork  drough  aa 


446 


SI   KLEGG   AND  SHORTY. 


vast  as  de  Lord'll  led  you.  After  you  ged  id  done  you 
gan  go  vhere  you  dam  blease,  so  long  as  you  don'd  led  de 
Cheneral  sed  eyes  on  you  I've  safed  your  life,  unt  I'm 
going  to  drust  to  your  honor  to  blay  vair  mit  me.  Help 
me  oud,  do  your  vork  righd,  unt  den  nefer  led  me  see 
you  again.' 

"Of  gourse,  I  blayed  vair.  I  asked  no  questions,  you 
ped^  apoud  de  boor  teffil  he  hat  pud  in  my  blaee.  I 
vorked  all  dat  night  unt  all  de  next  day  gedding  his 
babors  in  de  pest  bossible  shabe,  unt  in  making  gopies 
of  dem  vor  Cheneral  Eosecrans,  vhich  I  sduck  pehint 
de  chimney  in  de  gabin.  Along  in  de  morning  I  heard  de 
trums  beading  as  de  men  vere  marched  out  to  vitness  de 
execution.  Id  mate  my  heart  thump  a  liddle,  but  I  kept 
on  sgratehing  a^ay  mit  my  pen  for  life  unt  death.  Den 
de  trums  stopped  beading  vor  avhile,  unt  den  dcy  begun 
agin.  Den  I  heard  a  volley  dat  mate  me  shiver  all  ofer. 
Den  de  trams  bead  as  de  men  vere  marched  pack  to  deir 
gamps.  If  I  hat  hat  dime  I  dink  I  should  haf  vaintod. 
Towards  efening  I  hat  got  efferyding  in  virst-glass  shape. 
De  xA^djutant-Cheneral  gome  in.  He  looked  ofer  de 
babers  in  a  very  sadisfied  vay,  voided  dem  ub^  checked 
off  vrom  a  list  a  memorandum  of  de  babers  he  hat  gifen 
me  to  gopy  unt  gompile,  unt  saw  dat  I  hat  gifen  dem  all 
pack  to  him.  Den  he  looked  me  sdraighd  in  de  eye  mit 
said : 

"'Now,  Chew,  dere's  no  use  of  my  saying  anyding  to 
you.  You  heard  dat  volley  dier  morning,  umt  uiiterstoot 
id.  Nefer  led  me  or  de  Cheneral  lay  eyes  on  you  again. 
You  haf  done  your  bart  all  righd,  mit  I  mine.  Goot-by.' 

"He  dock  his  babers  unt  valked  out  of  de  gabin.  Ac 
soon  as  he  vas  gone  I  snatched  de  gopies  dat  I  hat  hid- 
den pehint  de  chimney,  sduck  dem  here  unt  dere  into 
my  glose,  unt  sdarted  for  de  outer  lines. 

"I  made  my  vay  to  a  house  vhere  I  knew  I'd  vind  some 
men  who  had  sgouted  mit  me  pefore.  I  knew  dey  might 
pe  susbicious  of  me,  pud  I  gould  ged  dem  to  go  along  by 
bredending  to  haf  orders  vrom  Headqvarters  for  a  sgout. 
I  got  to  de  house  py  morning,  vound  some  of  dem  dere, 
geddered  up  some  more,  unt  haf  peen  riding  arount  all 
day,  looking  at  de  Yankee  lines,  unt  drying  to  vind  soma 


ROSENBATTM'S  THItlLLING  EXPERIENCE  447 


vay  to  ged  inside.  Fm  nearly  deat  for  sleeb,  put  I  must 
haf  dese  babers  in  Cheneral  Roseerans's  hants  pefore  I 
glose  my  eyes." 

*'Your  horse  is  all  right,  isn't  he?"  asked  vShorty 

'^Yes,  I  dink  so/'  answered  Eosenbaum. 

"Well,  we  have  a  good  horse  here.  I'll  mount  him  and 
go  with  you  to  camp,  iea\^ing  Si  and  the  rest  of  the  boys 
here.    I  kin  git  back  to  them  by  daylight." 

So  it  was  agreed  upon. 

Day  was  just  breaking  when  Shorty  came  galloping 
back. 

"Turn  out,  boys!"  he  shouted.  "Pack  up,  and  start 
back  for  camp  as  quick  as  you  kin.  The  whole  army's 
on  the  move." 

"What's  happened,  Shorty?"  inquired  Si,  as  they  all 
roused  themselves  and  gathered  around. 

"Well,"  answered  Shorty,  rather  swelling  with  the  im- 
portance of  that  wdiich  he  had  to  communicate,  "all  I 
know  is  that  w-e  got  into  camp  a  little  after  midnight, 
and  went  direct  to  Gen.  Rosecrans's  Headquarters.  Of 
course,  the  old  man  was  up;  I  don't  believe  that  old  hook- 
nosed duffer  ever  sleeps.  He  was  awful  glad  to  see 
Rosenbaum,  and  gave  us  both  great  big  horns  o'  whisky, 
which  Rosenbaum  certainly  needed,  if  I  didn't,  for  he 
was  dead  tired,  and  almost  flopped  down  after  he  handed 
his  papers  to  the  General.  But  the  General  wanted  him 
to  stay  awake,  and  kept  plying  him  with  whisky  when- 
ever he  would  begin  to  sink,  and,  my  goodness,  the  ques- 
tions he  did  put  at  that  poor  Jew. 

"I  thought  we  knowed  something  the  country  out 
here  around  us,  but,  Jerusalem,  all  that  we  know  would- 
?x't  make  a  nrimer  to  Rosecrans's  Fifth  Reader.  Huw 
were  the  bridges  on  this  road?  Where  did  that  road  lead 
to?  How  deep  w^as  the  water  in  this  crick?  How  many 
rebels  were  out  there?  Where  was  Bragg's  cavalry? 
Where's  his  reserve  artillery?  And  so  on,  until  I  thought 
he'd  run  a  seine  through  every  water-hole  in  that  Jew's 
mind  and  dragged  out  the  last  minner  in  it.  I  never 
heard  the  sharpest  lawyer  put  a  man  through  such  a 
cross-examination. 


448 


SI  KLEGG  AND  SHOKTY. 


"Rosenbaiim  was  equal  to  everything  asked  hJni,  but 
it  seemed  to  me  that  Gen.  Eoseerans  knowed  a  great 
deal  more  about  what  was  inside  the  rebel  lines  than 
Eosenbaum  did.  All  this  time  they  was  goin'  over  the 
papers  that  Eosenbaum  brung,  and  Old  Eosey  seemed 
tickled  to  death  to  git  'em.  He  told  Eosenbaum  he'd 
done  the  greatest  day's  work  o'  his  life  and  made  his 
fortune. 

"In  the  meantime  the  whole  staff  had  waked  up  ana 
gathered  in  the  tents,  and  while  the  General  was  pumpin' 
Eosenbaum  he  was  sending  orders  to  this  General  and 
that  General,  and  stirrin'  things  up  from  Dan  to  Beer- 
sheba.  Lord,  you  ought  t've  seen  that  army  wake  up.  I 
wouldn't  've  missed  it  for  a  farm.  Everything  is  on  the 
move — right  on  the  jump.  We're  goin'  for  old  Bragg  for 
every  cent  we're  worth,  and  we  want  to  git  back  to  the 
regiment  as  quick  as  our  legs '11  carry  us.  Hustle  around, 
now." 

"But  what  're  we  goin'  to  do  with  our  prisoners?''  asked 
Si. 

"Blast  the  prisoners!"  answered  Shorty  with  profane 
emphasis.  "Let  'em  go  to  blue  blazes,  for  all  that  we 
care.  We're  after  bigger  game  than  a  handful  o'  measly 
pennyroyal  sang-diggers.  We  hain't  no  time  to  fool  with 
polecats  when  we're  huntin'  bear.  Go  off  and  leave  'em 
here." 

"That's  all  right,"  said  Si,  to  whom  an  idea  occurred. 
"Hustle  around,  boys,  but  don't  make  no  noise.  We'll 
march  off  so  quietly  that  they  won't  know  that  we're 
gone^  and  it'll  be  lots  o'  fun  thinking  what  they'll  do 
when  they  wake  up  and  begin  clapper-clawiii'  one  an- 
other and  wonderin'  what  theii  fate'll  be." 


